L&Q — Mediated Wiki

{{short description|British housing association}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}} {{Infobox organization | name = L&Q | logo = L Q Master Logo Digital Square Yellow RGB.jpg | logo_size = 220px | type = Housing association | founded = 1963 | founder = Rev Nicolas Stacey | location = London | origins = | key_people = Aubrey Adams OBE (Chairman) <br />Fiona Fletcher-Smith (CEO) <br />Waqar Ahmed (Finance) | region_served = London, South East England, East Anglia, North West England | product = Homes to buy, affordable and social-rented homes, supported and sheltered housing | focus = | method = | revenue = | endowment = | num_volunteers = | num_employees = 2800+ (2021) | num_members = | subsid = Quadrant Construction Services Ltd, L&Q Living and Trafford Housing Trust | owner = | mission = | website = https://www.lqgroup.org.uk/ | dissolved = | footnotes = }} '''L&Q''' (London & Quadrant Housing Trust) is a housing association operating in Greater London, the South East, East Anglia, and parts of the North West (under its subsidiary company Trafford Housing Trust). L&Q's registered office is based in Stratford.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2012-06-08 |title=London & Quadrant (L&Q) |url=http://www.theguardian.com/housing-network/2012/jun/08/london-and-quadrant |access-date=2022-11-22 |website=the Guardian |language=en}}</ref> Quadrant Housing Association, one of its original forebears, was established in 1963. L&Q is one of the largest housing associations in England. As of 2021, the company owns/manages in excess of 120,000 homes, housing c250,000 residents. It has faced significant criticism in recent years for service failures, including poor maintenance, prolonged disrepair, and handling of complaints. A 2023 Housing Ombudsman report found “severe maladministration,” and the organisation was criticised for sharp increases in service charges, which in some cases rose by over 40%. These issues have led to parliamentary scrutiny and public rebukes from government ministers.<ref>[https://www.itv.com/news/2023-07-26/exclusive-damning-report-finds-l-and-q-tried-to-silence-tenants ITV News – Damning report finds L&Q tried to silence tenants]</ref><ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/money/article/2024/may/13/lq-has-raised-my-flats-service-charge-by-41-i-cant-afford-it The Guardian – L&Q has raised my flat’s service charge by 41%]</ref><ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/jul/27/michael-gove-tells-landlord-lq-you-failed-your-residents The Guardian – Michael Gove tells landlord L&Q: ‘You failed your residents’]</ref>

==History== The Quadrant Housing Association was founded by Rev Nicolas Stacey, a Church of England priest who later became head of Social Services for Kent County Council, and Gospatric Home, a former British Army Major and entrepreneur.<ref>{{cite news|title=Obituary Rev Nicolas Stacey|url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/article/rev-nicolas-stacey-8dcrgm9w8|access-date=3 July 2017|agency=The Times|date=16 May 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=The Reverend Nicolas Stacey, reform-minded Anglican – obituary|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2017/05/09/reverend-nicolas-stacey-reform-minded-anglican-obituary/|accessdate=3 July 2017|agency=The Telegraph|date=9 May 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title=How This Social Entrepreneur Turned $80 Into A $43 Billion Housing Giant|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/douglasbell/2020/04/23/how-this-social-entrepreneur-turned-80-into-a-43-billion-housing-giant/?fbclid=IwZnRzaAOYO95leHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEe3vanEcgBRURZsARehsTvH9KzdS90tXEkuRBkTsJ0cPj6CW-jmRoUE89RnFQ_aem_IYhjfoBOSWL936yC5x0saQ#664655ea62bf|work=Forbes|access-date=2025-11-29|language=en|first=Douglas|last=Bell}}</ref>

Home chaired the 1958 Club, a dinner society of young bachelors working in the City of London. He invited Rev. Stacey to give a talk on homelessness to the club. This inspired the pair to form a committee to take action, which raising an initial £64 from 32 shares bought by each of the Club members for £2.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title=The history boys|url=https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/insight/insight/the-history-boys-34808|website=Inside Housing|access-date=2025-11-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210509191424/https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/insight/insight/the-history-boys-34808|archive-date=2021-05-09|language=En}}</ref> This sum was used to found Quadrant Housing Association, with Rev. Stacey as Chief Executive, and Home as Chairman.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|title=Rev Nicolas Stacey|url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/article/rev-nicolas-stacey-8dcrgm9w8|website=www.thetimes.com|date=2017-05-15|access-date=2025-11-29|language=en}}</ref><ref name=":1" /> The new housing association bought its first property, 2 Wrottesley Road, for £3,500 and invited a Mrs Cobb to move in.<ref name=":2" /> Because they employed so few staff, in Home and Rev. Stacey had to find and interview potential social housing tenants themselves.<ref name=":1" />

In 1973 Quadrant joined forces with another association, London Housing Trust, which had been set up in 1967. The merged organisation was named London & Quadrant Housing Trust.

In 2011, London and Quadrant was criticised by Conservative Party politicians alleging that L&Q had misled the public and MPs over its plans for development on the site of the Walthamstow Stadium.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/davehillblog/2012/nov/11/walthamstow-stadium-iain-duncan-smith|title=Walthamstow stadium: "This is not over," pledges Duncan Smith as campaign turns fire on Boris|last=Hill|first=Dave|date=2012-11-11|work=The Guardian|access-date=2019-05-02|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}}</ref>

In December 2016, London and Quadrant merged with the East Thames Housing Group.<ref>{{cite web|title=East Thames and L&Q announce successful merger completion and refinancing|url=http://www.east-thames.co.uk/news/dec2016/east-thames-and-lq-announce-successful-merger-completion-and-refinancing/|publisher=East Thames|accessdate=25 April 2017|date=6 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170427193653/http://www.east-thames.co.uk/news/dec2016/east-thames-and-lq-announce-successful-merger-completion-and-refinancing|archive-date=27 April 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In February 2017, L&Q completed a deal to buy the private land company Gallagher Estates for £505 million from Tony Gallagher.<ref>{{cite news|author=Isabelle Fraser |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2017/02/02/lq-snaps-land-investor-gallagher-estates-505m-deal/ |title=L&Q snaps up land investor Gallagher Estates in £505m deal |newspaper=The Telegraph |publisher=Telegraph.co.uk |date=2 February 2017 |accessdate=13 May 2017}}</ref>

An independent review conducted by Campbell Tickell in 2018 revealed maintenance of some of the company's properties had fallen below standards.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/news/weaknesses-found-after-investigation-into-lq-repairs-service-59831|title='Weaknesses' found after investigation into L&Q repairs service|website=Inside Housing|language=En|access-date=2019-05-02}}</ref>

''The Times'' reported in 2019 the company owned 95,000 homes across London and the south-east.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.ft.com/content/853e78b8-5525-11e9-91f9-b6515a54c5b1|title=L&Q to spend £4bn building homes in north-west England|last1=Bounds|first1=Andy|last2=Evans|first2=Judith|website=Financial Times|language=en-GB|access-date=2019-05-02}}</ref>

In 2019, L&Q acquired Trafford Housing Trust.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-10-03 |title=L&Q completes Trafford Housing Trust takeover |url=https://www.placenorthwest.co.uk/lq-completes-trafford-housing-trust-takeover/ |access-date=2022-11-22 |website=Place North West |language=en-GB}}</ref>

In 2021, Fiona Fletcher-Smith was appointed Group CEO, replacing David Montague CBE.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.socialhousing.co.uk/news/news/fiona-fletcher-smith-becomes-new-chief-executive-of-lq-69145/|title=Fiona Fletcher-Smith becomes new chief executive of L&Q}}</ref>

===Quadrant Construction=== In 2010, L&Q created an in-house construction practice, Quadrant Construction, which grew by 2016 to a £200m turnover business, making a £4m profit that was given back to the housing association. However, on 23 May 2017, L&Q announced a restructuring which would see Quadrant rebranded, with consultations starting about possible redundancies among the 200-strong workforce.<ref name="Morby-23May2017">{{cite news|last1=Morby|first1=Aaron|title=200 Quadrant Construction staff face restructure|url=http://www.constructionenquirer.com/2017/05/23/400-quadrant-construction-staff-face-restructure/|accessdate=23 May 2017|work=Construction Enquirer|date=23 May 2017}}</ref>

==Controversies==

===Service charges=== L&Q has faced criticism over significant increases in service charges for shared‑ownership and leasehold residents. Reports indicate charges rose by 41% in one year—without clear justification—and in some cases payments equalled more than half of household income. The Housing Ombudsman upheld over 86% of complaints against L&Q in this area.<ref name="Guardian2024Service">[https://www.theguardian.com/money/article/2024/may/13/lq-has-raised-my-flats-service-charge-by-41-i-cant-afford-it Butler, “L&Q has raised my flat’s service charge by 41%. I can’t afford it”, ''The Guardian'', 13 May 2024]</ref>

===Maintenance and property condition=== In April 2025, residents of a Sidcup block managed by L&Q experienced a **12‑day water cut** due to delays in fixing a supply pipe, with inadequate communication and support, negatively affecting elderly and disabled tenants.<ref name="Guardian2025Water">[https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/apr/18/residents-of-london-apartment-block-left-without-running-water-for-12-days Walker, “Residents of London apartment block left without running water for 12 days”, ''The Guardian'', 18 April 2025]</ref>

===Ombudsman findings and handling of complaints=== A 2023 investigation by the Housing Ombudsman found evidence of “constant maladministration,” including tying compensation to confidentiality agreements and failing to comply with complaint‑handling regulations.<ref name="ITV2023Report">[https://www.itv.com/news/2023-07-26/exclusive-damning-report-finds-l-and-q-tried-to-silence-tenants “Damning report finds L&Q tried to silence tenants”, ''ITV News'', 26 July 2023]</ref>

===Mutual exchange and rehousing issues=== Reports emerged in April 2024 of residents moved via L&Q’s mutual exchange scheme into unsafe homes contaminated with asbestos, structural defects, and exposed wiring.<ref name="Guardian2024Exchange">[https://www.theguardian.com/money/2024/apr/29/lqs-house-exchange-scheme-turned-our-lives-into-a-nightmare Hilborne, “L&Q’s house exchange scheme turned our lives into a nightmare”, ''The Guardian'', 29 April 2024]</ref> A separate case in February 2023 described a terminally ill mother living in temporary hotel accommodation for 15 months while repairs were delayed.<ref name="Guardian2023Ordeal">[https://www.theguardian.com/money/2023/feb/01/housing-association-lq-subjected-me-and-my-terminally-ill-mother-to-a-15-month-ordeal Booth, “Housing association L&Q subjected me and my terminally ill mother to a 15‑month ordeal”, ''The Guardian'', 1 February 2023]</ref>

===Discrimination and staff conduct=== In 2020, L&Q was ordered to pay £31,000 after a tribunal found it failed to address racial harassment by neighbours adequately.<ref name="Guardian2020Race">[https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/dec/19/housing-association-pays-tenant-31000-over-neighbours-racism Booth, “Housing association pays tenant £31,000 over neighbours’ racism”, ''The Guardian'', 19 December 2020]</ref> In 2023, a staff member was terminated for posting “extremely racist and offensive comments” on social media.<ref name="InsideHousing2023">[https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/news/lq-sacks-staff-member-who-tweeted-extremely-racist-and-offensive-comments-66888 “L&Q sacks staff member who tweeted extremely racist and offensive comments”, ''Inside Housing'', 2023]</ref>

=== Treatment of disabled tenants === In 2025, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right to adequate housing made public a letter sent to L&Q management detailing their systematic failure to provide adequate housing, citing the case of a family of five who live in a one bedroom property owned by L&Q, who "experienced four ceiling collapses, as well as severe damp and mould that affected their health"<ref>{{Cite news |last=Siddique |first=Haroon |last2=correspondent |first2=Haroon Siddique Legal affairs |date=2025-12-02 |title=UN experts raise concerns over homes rented out by English social landlord |url=https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/dec/02/un-experts-accuse-one-of-england-biggest-social-landlords-l-and-q-habitability-failings |access-date=2025-12-04 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref>. This letter was featured in a number of media outlets<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-12-03 |title=England: UN condemns major social landlord over substandard housing |url=https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/articles/england-un-condemns-major-social-landlord-over-substandard-housing |access-date=2025-12-04 |website=Scottish Housing News |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Mecklenburgh |first=Claudio |date=2025-12-04 |title=Landlord's repeated failure, UN letter to UK government reports - The Mancunion |url=https://mancunion.com/2025/12/04/landlords-repeated-failure-un-letter-to-uk-government-reports/ |access-date=2025-12-04 |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=North |first=Adrian |date=2025-12-02 |title=Major UK landlord under fire from UN over living conditions |url=https://www.housingexecutive.co.uk/major-uk-landlord-under-fire-from-un-over-living-conditions/ |access-date=2025-12-04 |website=Housing Executive |language=en-US}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:LandQ}} Category:Housing associations based in England Category:Charities based in London Category:Housing organisations based in London Category:Organisations based in the London Borough of Lewisham