Catalyst Housing
Catalyst Housing is a housing association operating in London and the south-east of England. On 1 April 2022 Catalyst became a subsidiary of the Peabody Trust. It was formed by the merger in 2002 of Kensington Housing Trust (formed 1926), Ealing Family Housing Association (formed 1963) and Northcote HA. Kensington Housing Trust operated in West London and as of 2009 owned around 2,500 homes in and around Kensington. The main offices were on Portobello Road. Catalyst Housing has been involved in a number of projects with the Mayor of London to build social housing. It is a founder member of the G15 group of the largest housing associations in London. History Cathy Come Home 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. Accommodation was often very inadequate, tenancy agreements insecure and rents high. The documentary Cathy Come Home (directed by Ken Loach and shown on TV in 1966) was instrumental in highlighting the issues of homelessness,