From 16 April, Origin Housing with its 7,800 homes across London and the home counties, has formally joined PfP as a subsidiary and will begin the process of transitioning fully into the group over the course of the next year.

PfP said it will mean an additional £100m of investment in customers’ homes over the first ten years post-merger as well as improved local services, a stronger voice for customers and more.

It added that the merger will be seamless, with tenancies unimpacted and services such as repairs, paying rent and service charges or raising issues with neighbourhood managers, all continuing to be delivered by existing staff from existing offices.

Greg Reed, group chief executive officer of Places for People, said: “This is such an exciting day and I welcome Origin Housing as part of the Places for People Group in a merger that will benefit everyone.

“This year will mark 100 years since Origin Housing was founded, and together we will build on this great legacy of delivering affordable, quality housing in this part of the country. We will be able to use our resources to invest an additional £100m into these 7,800 homes so we can ensure they are improved and maintained to the best standard.

“We will also support a wider range of services in local communities by recruiting, retaining and developing skilled and hardworking staff who know the area. In the longer term we will be looking to create community hubs and will be investing in ways that customers can have a stronger voice on things that matter to them most.”

Carol Carter, chief executive of Origin Housing, added: “I’m delighted that Origin will be joining Places for People. The partnership brings so many benefits for our Customers, meaning we will be able to invest in their homes, continue to build new homes and maintain our community focus.

“When we started 100 years ago, our founders created innovative solutions to meet the desperate need for decent, affordable homes in our local communities. Over time Origin has adapted and grown, developing successful partnerships that have had a real impact in the areas we work. I see this as the next stage of our evolution, to continue making difference to people’s lives.”