Every once in a while, modern capitalism seems to find a way of combining with a commitment to the wider social good — and Civitas Social Housing looks like a fine example. That said, although it may not be the epitome of the tooth-and-claw profit motive, it does come with huge growth momentum and, in fairness, a smattering of risk.
Civitas Social Housing is a £530 million real estate investment trust, the first of its kind to put its money exclusively in social housing. Listed since November 2016, it buys mainly freehold properties in England and Wales, tenants of which come through housing associations and tend to have characteristics including learning difficulties, autism, mental ill-health and a history of physical abuse. The trust is