Shepherds Bush Housing Association


The Shepherds Bush Housing Group, originally founded as the Shepherd's Bush Housing Association, is a social enterprise and registered charity providing affordable housing for Londoners. Founded in the early 1960s in St Stephen's Church, Shepherd's Bush, it now manages thousands homes across London.

History

In the early 1960s members of St Stephen's Church in Shepherds Bush were concerned about the poor conditions in which many parishioners lived. Vicar Reverend John Asbridge led a group of individuals, drawn from the parish and elsewhere, to "acquire and administer property for letting to needy families." The trust's first property was 220 Hammersmith Grove, a handsome but rather run-down four-storey building which was converted into four flats.
The choir vestry at St Stephen’s was used as an office, which was run by volunteers from the parish. In addition, help was given by a number of parishioners who gifted their own houses to the association for use by homeless people.

Mission

The mission of the trust is to provide "affordable homes of quality". The trust helps to "regenerate neighbourhoods, help residents to live independently, provide a furniture re-use service and help people onto the property ladder through low-cost home ownership".

Today

Asbridge ran the Association for 20 years, retiring in 1988. Today, the Shepherd's Bush Housing Association owns and manages more than 5,000 homes.