Pension Insurance Corporation (PIC) has invested £75m (€86.8m) in secured debt issued by Trafford Housing Trust, a housing association in Greater Manchester.
The insurer of defined benefit pension funds has invested alongside BlackRock Real Assets in a wider £275m refinancing package to fund both repayment of existing debt and further direct development.
Trafford Housing also has a joint venture with L&Q, a London housing association, to develop 500 homes per year.
The loan matures in three tranches in 2051, 2052, and 2056, matching PIC’s liabilities.
BlackRock said its involvement, also at £75m, brings a number of benefits for institutional clients, including stable, long-term cash flows structured on investment-grade quality social housing income.
Jonathan Stevens, head of European infrastructure debt at BlackRock, said the financing provides an “excellent opportunity� to invest in UK social housing, providing clients with “an inherently stable, long-term cash flow profile�.
PIC has previously invested around £150m in social housing PFI bonds in Greater Manchester, funding the refurbishment of almost 2,500 dwellings in the city.


