Crisis Launches Not-for-Profit Landlord Model with Lloyds Banking Group

Crisis, the homelessness charity, has launched a major homebuying scheme with the backing of Lloyds Banking Group to buy up homes within the private sector to tackle homelessness. It’s the “first time in over 60 years that a homelessness charity will be delivering housing” (Crisis, 2026).

Lloyds Banking Group is backing the new venture and Crisis’ mission to become a not-for-profit landlord operating within the private rented sector with £6.9 million of unclaimed funds.

Matt Downie, Chief Executive at Crisis, said: “With the support of Lloyds Banking Group, we can now kick-start our plans to become a not-for-profit landlord in the next few months. What this means is that we’ll be able to start to offer some of the people we support – people experiencing the very worst forms of homelessness – genuinely affordable, secure homes so that they can rebuild their lives.”

Charlie Nunn, Group Chief Executive Officer at Lloyds Banking Group said: “We’re so proud to support Crisis’ landmark intervention to end homelessness with homes, by making it possible for the charity to acquire and manage housing for the very first time.”

Crisis is utilising the funds to start buying the first round of homes by summer 2026, and has longer-term goals of purchasing at least ‘100 homes across London and Newcastle over the next three years, with larger plans to scale. This venture comes at a time when homelessness in England is at unprecedented levels, as an “estimated 4,793 people slept rough on a single night in Autumn 2025, the highest since records began” (Rough sleeping snapshot in England: autumn 2025). As the homelessness statistic is a bleak picture, the picture of social housing supply is not so different, with the latest figures showing there were “1.34 million households on local authority housing registers based on figures from 31st March” (Gov. UK, 2025). Whilst the UK government has ambitious plans for affordable housing delivery, lots of criticism exists around the time to deliver these homes, given the urgent state of the housing crisis.

The socially operated venture is part of an ongoing, longer-term mission from both organisations to promote social purpose within the private rented sector, and follows suit after the launch of Good Place Lettings, the socially ethical letting and property management agency. The ethically founded agency’s core mission is ‘good homes for good people with the support of good landlords’. Since launch, Good Place Lettings has ‘supported close to 40 individuals into settled homes, including people at risk or experiencing homelessness, and appeared on the BBC’s The One Show, showcasing their purpose and work. Alongside the homebuying venture, Lloyds Banking Group and Crisis have also extended their partnership by 2 years.

Charlie Nunn, Group Chief Executive Officer at Lloyds Banking Group said: “This level of ambition and imagination is an inspiration. We need more of it, with strong collaboration, across the public, business and charity sectors. And it is in everyone’s interest to help initiatives like these to succeed. Thanks to colleagues across Lloyds Banking Group, we have already raised over £5 million for essential frontline services and enabled the creation of the social enterprise lettings agency, Good Place Lettings. By supporting Crisis to expand their efforts, we can transform lives.”