What makes a successful partnership for housing delivery?

For Peabody, the answer lies in combining our historic mission - providing affordable homes for the people who need them - with an approach to partnerships that looks forward as well as back.

London faces immense pressures: a chronic shortage of affordable housing, rising construction costs, and the urgent need to decarbonise ageing homes. No single organisation can meet these challenges alone. Successful delivery depends on coalitions across sectors, funding streams and disciplines, with residents’ voices at the centre.

As one of London’s oldest housing associations, we are more than a landlord: we are a long-term custodian of places. In Thamesmead - where we own around 65% of the land – partnerships are at the heart of the approach to improving, growing, and looking after the town for the long-term, working alongside communities. Restoring lakes and green spaces alongside delivering new homes shows how renewal can improve biodiversity, climate resilience and wellbeing, while also expanding housing supply. Partnerships are not just about bricks and mortar; they are about aligning health, environment, and housing goals into one shared vision.

Equally urgent is the need to retrofit London’s existing homes. With more than 108,000 homes, many of which are historic buildings, the scale of the challenge for Peabody is significant. We are tackling it by combining our own investment with external finance and public grants. Our £60m National Wealth Fund-backed retrofit loan with Lloyds will help fund energy upgrades across thousands of homes, while collaborations with councils and contractors through the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund show how retrofit can be made scalable and resident-focused.

We are also embracing innovation to make retrofit smarter and more efficient. With Kestrix and United Living, and support from Innovate UK, we are piloting drone-based thermal imaging powered by AI. This allows us to assess the thermal performance of homes quickly, identify where heat is escaping, and target works more effectively.

But retrofit is only half the story. London also needs more affordable homes, and Peabody is determined to build wherever we can. That means working hand in hand with the Greater London Authority (GLA), boroughs, and private partners to unlock complex sites. At Holloway, in partnership with London Square and with support from the GLA, we are building nearly 1,000 new homes - 60% of them affordable, including more than 400 for social rent - alongside a Women’s Building and new community facilities.

In Dagenham, we’ve partnered with the Hill Group on the first phase of a major regeneration, delivering hundreds of much-needed homes alongside new green spaces. At St Ann’s in Tottenham, our collaboration with Hill and the GLA will create nearly 1,000 homes - most of them affordable - set within welcoming new public spaces. These projects demonstrate how joint ventures and public-private partnerships can deliver both scale and lasting social value.

Partnership is also about trust. We are clear that renewal must mean no net loss of social housing and ensuring meaningful engagement with residents and the local community throughout. The projects that succeed are those where communities feel they are shaping their future, not simply having change imposed upon them.

Looking ahead, London needs housing that is both more plentiful and more sustainable. Partnerships that blend public and private finance, combine retrofit and regeneration, and put residents at the heart are the best way to achieve this. For Peabody, the challenge is to remain true to our founding mission while adapting delivery models to today’s realities. If we succeed, we will not just deliver homes, but help shape healthier, greener, and fairer neighbourhoods for generations to come.