A year of growth, impact and putting communities first
14 October 2026
Having been in post as Head of Affordable Homes for one year, in this blog, Shaun Holdcroft reflects on his first 12 months and some of his proudest achievements.
One Year as Head of Affordable Homes: Shaun Holdcroft Reflects on His First 12 Months
I’ve worked in housing my whole career, and what I’ve seen time and again is that a good-quality home can have a profound and positive impact on someone’s life chances.
At L&G we are in no doubt that a secure, affordable home can improve health and wellbeing and create the all-important stability people need to anchor themselves and build brighter futures. Over the past year, I’ve had the privilege of leading the Affordable Homes Division at L&G, where we’ve challenged ourselves to go even further in supporting our customers, their families and communities across the country.
Earlier this year, we launched Neighbourhood by L&G. Its aim is to make it easier for our customers to access the help they need, when they need it. Services such as virtual GP appointments, mental health support, financial and legal advice, physiotherapy, support for long-term illness, children’s wellbeing services and tailored health and fitness resources are all accessible through a digital platform – at no extra cost to the customer.
Another L&G initiative – Harbour – is designed for vulnerable customers particularly those who’ve experienced challenges like long-term illness, unemployment, homelessness or have wider support needs. Through a programme of early intervention, we help these customers sustain their tenancy, whether that’s via employment skills or sharing tips on positive financial habits. It’s grown from a pilot of five households to now supporting more than 100 in the past year.
Alongside these we now have 8,000 households living in our homes, with a further 1,600 homes under construction and over 3,000 in our pipeline. We’ve also raised almost £1 billion of institutional capital for the sector and continue to explore new partnerships and delivery models.
Our partnership with Hyde shows the value of backing decades of housing experience with patient capital. By combining Hyde’s deep operational expertise with L&G’s ability to invest for the long term, we’re unlocking funding for reinvestment while helping ensure homes remain well managed, well maintained and focused on the people who live in them. It’s a model that supports existing housing stock today while creating capacity for future affordable housing.
None of this would’ve been possible without everyone pulling the same direction – our partners, our investors and of course the incredible team that I work with at L&G. Thanks to them, we’ve been recognised as a trailblazer in the sector – our RESI award win and the G1, V1 and C1 ratings from the Regulator of Social Housing are testament to my colleagues’ dedication, determination and tireless efforts as well as belief in the mission of delivering positive social impact alongside good-quality, energy efficient homes.
Which brings me back to the fact that for me, the most important measure of success isn’t the number of homes we own, manage or fund. It’s the difference those homes make to people’s lives because behind every statistic is a person, possibly a family and definitely a community, and our mission is to make life better for them through our homes. That’s the purpose that drives us, and it will continue to shape everything we do in the years ahead.