Catalyst Housing

In the early 1960s the UK was emerging from the aftermath of the second world war and although the economy was reviving, poor and overcrowded housing conditions persisted in many areas.

For a large number of people on low incomes, the only way to find somewhere to live was to rent privately.

The documentary Cathy Come Home (directed by Ken Loach and shown on TV in 1966) was instrumental in highlighting the issues of homelessness, unemployment and poverty and it helped alert the public to the scale of the country’s housing crisis.

In 1980 it set up Northcote Housing Association to provide low cost homeownership schemes.

In 1998 the Ealing Family Group (as EFHA and its subsidiaries were known) established Fortunegate Community Housing to take over and regenerate 1,500 homes from Brent council.

In 1966 five businessmen met in Harpenden and agreed to create affordable housing for this community.

In the intervening years Aldwyck grew to cover much of Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire and Northamptonshire, providing over 11,000 homes.