In 1901, wealthy financier, Samuel Lewis, left an endowment of £670,000 (equivalent to £30 million today) to set up a charitable trust to provide housing for the poor.
The Samuel Lewis Housing Trust completed its first properties in 1910 at Liverpool Road in Islington, and then went on to build other large schemes in London.
In 2001, the Trust celebrated its centenary year and all its achievements of the past. At the same time it was decided to go forward into the future as Southern Housing Group.
The Group has a firmly established strategy of sustained and considered growth. A non-charitable arm, Southern Housing Home Ownership, was developed to provide a range of low-cost home ownership and intermediate housing options.
We also formed a wholly-owned subsidiary, Southern Space to develop homes for outright sale. Surpluses from the proceeds of property sales go back to the Group, providing a much-needed independent source of funding.
In 2002, 2005 and 2006, three organisations joined the Group: South Wight Housing Association, Isle of Wight Housing Association and James Butcher Housing Association.