Why strong partnerships are key to building 1.5 million homes

The partnership ‘model’ can take many forms, but it starts with building trusting relationships. The sector has made it clear they want to work with contractors who have financial stability and the expertise and experience to work with them through the many challenges affordable housing delivery faces.

They also want value for money and to create good-quality, warm and safe homes for their customers. The sector requires partners who understand their ‘place’, their customers and who actually care! They want strong partnerships that deliver social value commitments across their communities, providing benefits long beyond the delivery of a project, leaving a lasting legacy. 

So how can the sector be sure they have found the right partner to deliver their homes?

Getting to know the team you will be working with is key, making sure your behaviours and values align – this isn’t a one-way street, all parties have to feel they are pulling in the same direction. The partnership needs to be equitable with a clear appreciation for the strengths each partner brings to the table.

Honesty and understanding of each other’s drivers from the outset is important. Having worked in the public sector for most of my life, there is a lingering suspicion around working with partners who need to make a profit.

Accepting this and understanding the strategic direction of who you are partnering with will build trust and a firm basis for a long-lasting relationship. If you can create a one-team approach, you have a key ingredient needed for success!

We know the challenges the sector faces around stock condition, decarbonisation, fire safety, cladding and damp and mould. These priorities are holding back the long-term strategic delivery of affordable homes and leaving us in a cycle of under-provision.

We can help with those challenges and address the impact this is having on the delivery of new homes, which is often taking a back seat to these other, more pressing concerns. Everyone deserves to live in a decent home that meets their needs!

As a Tier 1 contractor delivering mid to high-rise developments, we recognise that creating the right partnerships is even more important now as we navigate the challenges of the new regulatory regime. Town and city living will be a key factor in delivering affordable homes at pace while regenerating our core centres which is vital to our economic growth.

If all parts of the development cycle work together to create those lasting relationships, we will build the housing our nation needs and tackle the critical undersupply of affordable homes.

Angela Brockbank, affordable homes director, Galliford Try

Let’s talk partnerships! angela.brockbank@gallifordtry.co.uk, www.gallifordtry.co.uk