Our Aim:

Miss Goodwin and three sisters, Elizabeth, Amy and Clara Harrison founded the ‘Homes for the Aged Poor’ which eventually became known as ‘Harrison Homes’.  The founders, like many Victorian benefactors, were motivated by the poverty and hardship suffered by retired domestic staff; often, these respectable people were reduced to destitution on leaving a lifetime of service, and were forced to enter the workhouse during their later years, where life-expectancy was extremely short and conditions were both appalling and harsh.

The first experimental home consisted of an eight-bedroom house in Portland Road, West London, which was acquired in 1869. It housed sixteen residents who were either married couples or who shared with a friend.  Over the next thirty years, many donations of both properties and money were received and, by 1899, the charity had opened a further fourteen almshouses providing housing to 172 residents.

Several adjacent terraced houses were acquired in Minford Gardens, Shepherds Bush, and progressively additional houses were added in the same terrace as they became available. Today, behind the Victorian façade of numbers 7 to 17 Minford Gardens, is a sheltered housing scheme which is home to some twenty residents who live in self-contained one – bedroom flats.

The charity acquired No. 42 St James’s Square (now Gardens), the former Convent of the Little Sisters of the Assumption, and the following year, No. 43 was purchased.  Over the next eighty years more adjacent buildings were added, the last being at No 47.

Since 1965 there has been a Preservation Order on all the houses in St James’s Gardens.  The Trustees in 1968 decided to build additional accommodation to the rear of Nos 42-43 in order to provide accommodation for a further 16 residents. Today, the Charity’s properties in St. James’s Gardens houses 48 retired residents in one – bedroom flats.

Following a legal review of Harrison Homes’ constitution, the charity was incorporated under company law with the adoption of a modern constitution. The name was changed to Harrison Housing

We began to manage Greenwoods Almshouses in Camden on behalf of the Leonard Hackett Memorial Trust (a subsidiary of the Almshouse Association). With the aid of a government grant, we totally refurbishment the property and eliminated the operating deficit. A subsequent Housing Corporation Audit congratulated us on the quality of the work. Latterly, Greenwoods Almshouses were merged with Harrison Housing.

We took on the management of 11 Units in Herne Hill belonging to the Howis Trust. This charity was merged with Harrison Housing in June 2007 and its properties underwent a major refurbishment in 2011 to bring them up to modern day standards (and increase the number of units to 12), with the help of a grant from the Homes and Communities Agency.

We took over from Westminster Abbey, the Whicher & Kifford Charity which owns six flats in Vauxhall and, with financial help from the Abbey, the complete refurbishment of the property has been completed. We are in the process of merging the charity with Harrison Housing.

There are eight Trustees who give their services voluntarily and meet as frequently as necessary. There is also a group of six voluntary Visitors, each of whom acts as confidant and friend to a number of residents, visiting them regularly.

Day to day administration is carried out by the professional staff under the Chief Executive (who reports to the Trustees). The staff team includes a Director of Finance, Housing Manager, Property Services Manager, Management Accountant, Finance Officer/Administrator, Scheme Managers and Housekeepers.

Harrison Housing now manages, on its own account and on behalf of other Almshouse Charities, housing schemes in Camden, Herne Hill, Hounslow, Waltham Abbey, West Hackney and Vauxhall – a total of over 130 owned and managed flats.

At the heart of all we do is the support and encouragement we give to our residents through the excellent work of our Scheme Managers and staff.