Advertising helps fund Big Issue’s mission to end poverty
Oasis Collector's Edition is HERE! - Get yours before they go.
GET MINE
Housing

Premier League footballers unveil £400m London housing development

Rio Ferdinand, Bobby Zamora and Mark Noble have set up the Legacy Foundation to address a social housing problem in the capital

Photo credit: Jake Ratcliffe

Former England captain Rio Ferdinand has spoken about his desire to see genuinely affordable housing affordable built in London.

The former Manchester United defender has teamed up West Ham United captain Mark Noble and ex-Fulham striker Bobby Zamora to set up the Legacy Foundation to address the housing crisis and lack of affordable places to live. All three of the footballers grew up on council housing estates in east or south London.

Everything we do has to have a sporting and leisure facility, it has to have an education part to it

The Legacy Foundation has announced the beginning of building work on 1,300 homes just outside Luton, set for completion in 2017, and has also opened discussions with local authorities in Newham and Barking and Dagenham.

Its aim is to achieve 50 per cent social or affordable housing at each site it manages to build on, and also aims to make sure there are decent communities facilities in place at each project.

“Everything we do has to have a sporting and leisure facility, it has to have an education part to it, and we want to entice the local businesses to give the people in the communities opportunities as well,” said Ferdinand.

The first project sees 600 of the 1,300 homes built in Houghton Regis, near Luton, designated for social and affordable housing.

Advertising helps fund Big Issue’s mission to end poverty
Advertising helps fund Big Issue’s mission to end poverty

The £400 million development is happening in partnership with Central Bedfordshire Council and Aviva Investors. The council will set rents, with the income from tenants split between the council and investors.

“We want to provide high quality housing in the estates and areas that need it the most,” said Ferdinand.

“We’re all from estates and the kids of those estates needed people to look up to and be inspired by. We’re hoping to be part of that.”

Photo credit: Jake Ratcliffe

Advertising helps fund Big Issue’s mission to end poverty

SIGN THE PETITION

Will you sign Big Issue's petition to ask Keir Starmer to pass a Poverty Zero law? It's time to hold government to account on poverty once and for all.

Recommended for you

View all
Labour wants to build 300,000 affordable and social homes in 10 years. But is it enough?
Labour housing secretary Angela Rayner
Social housing

Labour wants to build 300,000 affordable and social homes in 10 years. But is it enough?

Rough sleeping in London hits record high amid warnings of benefit cuts making things worse
a homeless man sitting on the street with his dog
Rough sleeping

Rough sleeping in London hits record high amid warnings of benefit cuts making things worse

Tory MP Robert Jenrick says mass migration to blame for rising rents. Here's what he's not telling you
Conservative MP Robert Jenrick
RENTING

Tory MP Robert Jenrick says mass migration to blame for rising rents. Here's what he's not telling you

Huge student blocks are transforming city skylines. But is there a darker motive behind the boom?
Student accommodation

Huge student blocks are transforming city skylines. But is there a darker motive behind the boom?

Most Popular

Read All
Renters pay their landlords' buy-to-let mortgages, so they should get a share of the profits
Renters: A mortgage lender's window advertising buy-to-let products
1.

Renters pay their landlords' buy-to-let mortgages, so they should get a share of the profits

Exclusive: Disabled people are 'set up to fail' by the DWP in target-driven disability benefits system, whistleblowers reveal
Pound coins on a piece of paper with disability living allowancve
2.

Exclusive: Disabled people are 'set up to fail' by the DWP in target-driven disability benefits system, whistleblowers reveal

Cost of living payment 2024: Where to get help now the scheme is over
next dwp cost of living payment 2023
3.

Cost of living payment 2024: Where to get help now the scheme is over

Strike dates 2023: From train drivers to NHS doctors, here are the dates to know
4.

Strike dates 2023: From train drivers to NHS doctors, here are the dates to know

Support our vendors with a subscription

For each subscription to the magazine, we’ll provide a vendor with a reusable water bottle, making it easier for them to access cold water on hot days.