Our history

Founded in 1862

George Peabody, an American banker, philanthropist and social visionary, created the Peabody Trust in 1862.

Inspired by his own life experiences and with views far ahead of his time, George recognised social injustice and wanted to tackle the poverty he saw around him.

So he set up The Peabody Donation Fund. Two years later we opened our first homes for what were then known as the ‘artisans and labouring poor of London’. This marked the start of George Peabody’s – and our – pioneering work in London.

Social visionary

Back then, in the late 1800s, Peabody's homes were visionary. We were creating social housing estates with unheard-of-luxuries such as separate laundry rooms and space for children to play. And this at a time when many people in London were living in some of the most horrific slums in Europe.

George's vision and sense of social justice has shaped us and made Peabody the organisation it is today. That is one that strives to create homes and communities where people want to live and can flourish.

Creating history

We opened our first estate in Spitalfields in 1864. Since then, we’ve grown to house more than 220,000 people. We continue to build on our pioneering history, adapting to the changing needs of Londoners with innovations in affordable, sustainable housing.

Our aim remains to improve people's lives through better housing and a sense of community belonging.