• 1901 – Samuel Lewis dies and leaves money in his will to build homes for the poor, forming the Samuel Lewis Housing Trust.
  • 1910 -  The first Samuel Lewis Trust Estate of 151 flats was completed at Liverpool Road, Islington and the first resident’s moved in. 
  • 1918 – First World War ends.
  • 1939 - Eight estates had been built using the endowment left by Samuel Lewis providing much needed homes for London’s poorest families. 
  • 1945 – Second World War ends. In response to homelessness caused by The Blitz,  Joan Bartlett founded Hearth and Home Ltd
  • 1952: Accession of Queen Elizabeth II.
  • 1955 - Maisie Wood founded the Catholic Housing Aid Society (CHAS)
  • 1967 - South London Family Housing Association (SLFHA) founded by John Howes and Jack Griffin in response to the failures of the welfare system in the 1960s.
  • 1974 - Hearth and Home Ltd changed its name to Servite Houses Ltd.
  • 1989: Tim Berners-Lee invents the World Wide Web.
  • 1990 - Swale HA was established after tenants voted for a change of landlord to a housing association
  • 1995 - Crowebridge Housing became a subsidiary of Swale HA
  • 1996 - 1066 Housing Association formed following the transfer of homes from Hastings Borough Council
  • 1998 - Rother Homes established
  • 1999 - Amicus Group is formed
  • 2001 – The Samuel Lewis Trust is renamed Southern Housing Group
  • 2002 – South Wight Housing merge with Southern Housing Group
  • 2002 - Queen Elizabeth II celebrates her Golden Jubilee – 50 years
  • 2003 – James Butcher Housing Association merge with Southern Housing Group
  • 2005 - Riverhaven Ltd joined Servite Houses
  • 2006 - Horizon and Amicus merge to form AmicusHorizon
  • 2007 - Thames Housing Association merge with Servite Houses
  • 2009 – Southern Housing Group becomes a partner in Triathlon Homes, owning and delivering new homes on the 2012 London Olympic site
  • 2010 - Servite changes its name to Viridian Housing
  • 2012 – London hosts the Olympic Games
  • 2014 – Southern Maintenance Services (SMS) was formed as an in-house team providing day to day repairs
  • 2016: Brexit - The UK votes to leave the European Union 
  • 2017 - AmicusHorizon and Viridian amalgamated to form Optivo
  • 2020 – Corona Viris creates an international health crisis and lockdown begins
  • 2020 - Crown Simmons became a subsidiary of Southern Housing Group
  • 2022 – Southern Housing Group and Optivo merge to become Southern Housing.
  • 2026 - Southern Housing celebrates 125 years of helping people in housing need.