housing

For investors, co-living represents an opportunity to tackle two of the UK’s biggest challenges – the housing crisis and climate change – in a way that also delivers sustainable, long-term returns, writes Bridges Property Funds director Celia Harrison.

The real estate manager's social impact fund has reached a first close, with Big Society Capital, Samsung Life Insurance and London CIV among its LPs.

Avanath has pivoted from managing a series of closed-end affordable housing funds to a single evergreen fund.

The German manager has raised around €300m to invest in social and affordable housing across western Europe.

The finance industry has a key role to play in ensuring no one is left behind by the huge industrial upheaval ahead, writes Big Society Capital CEO Stephen Muers.

The firm considers policing part of its investment mandate, but is not "in the business of impact as an opinion", says impact head John Levy.

The package will be used to make upgrades across the 8,600-unit portfolio and includes a €40m green loan.

In the UK, the real estate impact investor segment is maturing and targeting a broader base of investors.

The real estate manager has worked with consultancy The Good Economy to institute an impact management and measurement system.

More than half is invested in social and affordable housing, Big Society Capital finds – a long-term, stable asset class attracting local pension funds – while social impact ventures values fell.