Supporting London's communities

G15 members play a vital role in supporting residents, providing services that directly benefit tens of thousands of Londoners. These community schemes, which plug the gaps in state services, include employment support programmes, food security initiatives and financial guidance.

The G15 has warned that vital community schemes that provide important services to their residents and plug the gaps in state services, including employment programmes, food security initiatives and financial guidance, are at threat without urgent action from the Government.

As providers of below-market rent social and affordable homes, G15 members play a vital, often unrecognised, role in supporting vulnerable residents, volunteering to provide services that directly benefit tens of thousands of Londoners.

In the last year these schemes alone created £23 million in ‘social value’ - a measure of the broader benefits to individuals, communities, and society - for residents, London and the UK. Teams from G15 members provided 67 money guidance projects and 75 food security initiatives, which collectively supported 32,000 people. Additionally, employment and skills programmes run by G15 members have helped over 60,000 residents into work and training since 2017 – with more than 55,000 of these supported by Clarion Futures, the charitable foundation of Clarion Housing Group – transforming lives and contributing to London’s wider economy.

Many of these services were once provided by the state, but decades of cuts to services and community support programmes have seen not-for-profit housing associations stepping in to fill critical gaps. Despite the immense benefits, this significant contribution often goes unacknowledged by the Government and wider society.

The threat has come to light in our new report - “Room to Grow: Supporting London's Communities” - at a time when London’s Housing Associations are grappling with various financial pressures following years of political and economic instability. Climbing costs to upgrade existing homes and comply with regulation as well as the lack of a stable investment environment , have meant the development of new Housing Association homes are grinding to a halt just as the Government targets a surge in housebuilding to address the housing crisis.

"Not-for-profit housing associations are proud to play an essential role in the lives and communities of our residents, creating room to grow whether helping with skills and employment opportunities, financial education, healthcare support and so on” said Fiona Fletcher-Smith, Chair of the G15.

“Without targeted Government support, we face an impossible dilemma: we cannot continue to provide the critical services our residents rely on while delivering the affordable and social homes that are key to solving London and the UK’s housing crisis.”

Read more in our latest case study... click here