business_ninja
@business_ninja on twitter
Business Analyst and Strategic Project Manager - Continuous Improvement, Lean process design and all round bettering!
"With my feet firmly on the ground I argue with those with their heads in the clouds"
Recent activity
Comments (19)
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Comment on: Rising to the challenge
Good Luck Inti!
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Comment on: Sarah Webb dies following battle with illness
I was priviledged to meet and talk with Sarah at the Harrogate Conference earlier this year. She was a real inspiration and will be sorely missed by all who knew her.
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Comment on: Sarah Webb dies following battle with illness
I was priviledged to meet and talk with Sarah at the Harrogate Conference earlier this year. She was a real inspiration and will be sorely missed by all who knew her.
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Comment on: Affordable rents – doublethink in action
Rebranding social housing was a hot-topic at this years Housing Conference...
The pragmatists amongst us agreed it should all be called affordable housing because it should be affordable. I return to the idea of income % based rents *ducks* -
Comment on: Affordable rents – doublethink in action
*looks forward to new photo of Chris in sparkly suit*
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Posts (8)
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Posted in: Quiz the Rising Stars finalists
Other than a quick lesson in what not to do I find it hard to spend time worrying about what got us here. I'd much rather focus on where we're going.
If pushed Heath's 1972 Act has to be the winner (loser?) because of it's domino effect. The increased cost of council housing caused Thatcher's reactionary home-ownership polcies which further distorted the housing market. House and rental prices across the UK soared and it created a lack of affordable housing. Access to housing became harder and harder for people in genuine need who were unable to buy or rent privately. It essentially created the housing benefit trap we now see with generations of families receiveing benefits.
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Posted in: Quiz the Rising Stars finalists
Hi Phil, I said in an earlier post that
"I don't shy away from my views on eligibility. If someone can afford to live in private accomodation then I believe we have an obligation to provide a route into the private sector and give our homes to people in genuine need."
The real challenge is diverting our limited resources to identifying those who no longer need our services and creating a bridge into private housing or home-ownership. To make a real difference in a short-space of time we need to let our intentions known as early as possible and start investigating and consulting with these tenants now.
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Posted in: Quiz the Rising Stars finalists
Hey Chris, so ok I get the Rastenburg referencce but who have I excluded?
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Posted in: Quiz the Rising Stars finalists
I'd ask when there will be a working commitee between him, IDS, Cable, Lansley and Gove and Pickles which will formulate an hollistic strategy to address the causes of homelessness, worklessness and low-income and to look at affordable housing options not just at a social housing level but for all.
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Posted in: Quiz the Rising Stars finalists
Hello S! Honoured that this has inspired your first ever post!
My views are pragmatic but not uncaring, quite the opposite, I 'd like to live in a world where we don't need social housing - wouldn't you? As I've said in previous posts we need a big picture solution to housing as whole.
We have a supply and demand problem with social housing, and it seems that too many people say "not enough homes" when I say "can we help these people to no longer need us?"
A sustainable community doesn't have to be stagnant, it should be vibrant, a mixture of different backgrounds, interests and desires, and people should have the opportunity to change their circumstances if they wish to. Supported and sheltered housing is about sustainability, general needs could be about opportunity.
Not everyone who lives in social housing wants to live in social housing - however good the stock, the services or the community. Some of our tenants don't want to be subsidised by tax-payers. They want to be ineligible for social housing, they want to get off benefits, they want to earn more, have more support, learn new skills and choose where they live. That's why we should offer every opportunity for them to do so.
That said, S, I don't shy away from my views on eligibility. If someone can afford to live in private accomodation then I believe we have an obligation to provide a route into the private sector and give our homes to people in genuine need.
These are views that I not only happily share with residents but views that are inspired by them.
PS Leon - yes absolutely!