London housing associations on a mission so no social housing resident goes to bed hungry

In 2023, Peabody founded the London Food Insecurity Network with the Housing Associations Charitable Trust (HACT) and The Felix Project to explore more strategic and collaborative responses to addressing food inequality. As place-based organisations and community anchors, housing associations can take cross sector collective action to tackle the issue of food insecurity. And in doing so, make a real difference to the lives of thousands of people.

This impact report shares the achievements of the Network in its first year as well as their collective learnings and ambitions for the future.

Learnings included:

• This work needs collaboration and financial resources to make it work. Although surplus food may be free, a lot of resource is needed to ensure that food reaches communities where it will be most impactful and without this, activity, like the winter markets, is just not possible.
• Housing associations have a wide-ranging scale of activity to tackle food poverty across the capital and knowing what is taking place and where, provides the foundations for place-based collaborations and improved social impact.
• Addressing food poverty must factor in how we make healthy, nutritious and culturally appropriate food accessible to more people.
• The physical spaces that housing associations have in the heart of communities is incredibly important.

Sustain has been a part of this journey as a member of the network over the past year and continues to work with Peabody and HACT to find sustainable solutions to tackle food insecurity through a joined up social housing response.

Download the impact report