The two year partnership will see Lloyds Bank, through fundraising, support Crisis in developing and setting up the new letting agency working with Scottish social enterprise letting agency Homes for Good.

This new initiative follows on from the recent partnership arrangement between Crisis and the NRLA (National Residential Landlords Association) announced in December last year.

The announcement of the partnership came at the same time that Crisis and Lloyds Banking Group jointly published the report "Home is where the start is: The case for ending homelessness with homes" arguing for "placing provision of good quality, affordable, settled homes at the centre of solutions to homelessness". The report also points out that the poorest 10 per cent are, on average (including those in receipt of housing benefits), spending more than their actual income on rent energy and food and in too many cases, the rental element is spent on poor quality accommodation.

The not for profit letting agency project will "match and support both tenants and landlords and avoid poor and exclusionary practices. It will be fair for tenants and fair for landlords" and will open in London later in 2023 before being rolled out (an "ambition") "across Great Britain" subsequently.

Lloyds Chief Executive, Charlie Nunn, says that the challenge is "immense" but that answers can be found via financial innovation, partnerships and "fresh thinking". Meanwhile Matt Downie, Chief Executive at Crisis, said "Our new research shows the heart breaking reality for people at the sharp end of the housing emergency .... These situations are unacceptable" adding that it was disgraceful that some people are left only with the options of poor quality housing or homelessness and that this new partnership will enable the organisation to take bold action to tackle the problem which is the biggest issue faced by the people that Crisis support.

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