Celebrating 125 Years Creating Communities Together

125 years of Southern Housing? We know we don't look old enough! 

As part of the Southern Housing family, we’re proud to celebrate a rather significant milestone: 125 years of creating communities together. That's more than a century of helping people find not just houses, but homes where they can put down roots and join communities where life happens. Today, that legacy continues through the Shared Ownership homes we’re creating across London, Brighton and Sussex, helping even more people take their first step onto the property ladder. 

And while we're marking the occasion, we should say this isn't really about us. It's about the residents, colleagues and communities who've shaped Southern Housing's story over the past 125 years, and who continue to make it what it is today. 

For Southern Housing New Homes (and Quacksley!) this legacy means something specific: helping more people have a place to call their own with Shared Ownership across London and the South East, giving buyers the chance to become part of thriving communities, not just move into them. 

Where It All Started 

Southern Housing's story began all the way back in 1901, when founders Samuel and Ada Lewis helped lay the foundations for a lasting legacy of affordable housing. Samuel Lewis left funds in his will to provide affordable homes for people in housing need, creating a vision that has continued for more than a century. 

By 1910, the first estate opened in Islington, 151 high-quality flats that laid the foundations for more than a century of community building. Over the decades, Southern Housing grew, adding more areas to the organisation (like us!) but all united by that same purpose of providing quality, affordable homes. 

Today, Southern Housing provides around 80,000 homes for more than 167,000 residents across London and the South East. And as part of this legacy, we continue that mission by helping buyers take their first or next step onto the property ladder through Shared Ownership, making affordable homeownership possible for more people. 

More Than Just Numbers 

Southern Housing's success has never been measured purely by how many homes get built. It's about the communities that flourish within them, the connections that form and the lives that unfold. 

Beyond building homes, Southern Housing invests in neighbourhood programmes, resident support, training, careers advice and community initiatives that help people and places thrive. It's about creating the conditions for life to happen, not just providing four walls and a roof. 

And none of this would be possible without the dedication of colleagues across Southern Housing and Southern Housing New Homes, whose work has helped generations of people find not just a house, but a place to call home. 

Looking Forward 

Much has changed over the past 125 years. The way we build homes, the communities we serve, the challenges people face when trying to access homeownership, it's all evolved. 

But Southern Housing's purpose remains the same: providing quality, affordable homes and creating communities where people can thrive. 

The vision is simple: creating places where everyone has a safe home and a community they're proud to be part of. These communities, like Glengall Rise, Wickside and Varcoe Corner in London, and Home X in Brighton create spaces for making friends, where families grow and where life feels a little more settled. 

Here's to the Next Chapter 

So here's to 125 years of creating communities together. To Samuel and Ada Lewis, whose vision started it all. To every resident who's had a home with Southern Housing  To every colleague who's helped make it happen. And to everyone who'll be part of the story going forward – including Quacklsey – we hope. 

Together with Southern Housing we’ll continue to create communities, open doors to affordable homeownership, and support residents for generations to come. 

Because while 125 years is worth celebrating, the work continues. And we're just getting started. 

Find out more about Southern Housing's 125th anniversary 

Explore available Shared Ownership homes across London and the South East