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Landlords should not fear the change that lies ahead

Roxanne Hawkins argues that the sector must embrace change, not shy away from it

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Picture: Getty
Picture: Getty
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Roxanne Hawkins argues that the #ukhousing sector must embrace change, not shy away from it

“We can and must move with the times and meet these new demands in new ways,” says Roxanne Hawkins from @ForHousing

“What does the future look like for landlords and our tenants? Nobody knows. But that’s OK,” says Roxanne Hawkins from @ForHousing

The world is changing.

Even for a generation that has grown up with Facebook and the smartphone – I am too young even to have owned a fabled Nokia 3210 – this is unprecedented.

The way we work, live and speak to each other will never be the same again. That’s all happened in just 12 months.

“We can and must move with the times and meet these new demands in new ways”

But our generation has been brought up understanding that to change is to grow. We don’t fear change, we embrace it – the good and the bad.

The role of housing associations is evolving constantly. We are driven by the voices of tenants and by the decisions of politicians. We can and must move with the times and meet new demands in new ways. After all, lives don’t improve by chance – they improve by change.


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ForHousing has always embraced change in the housing sector. I have been fortunate enough to be involved in successful mergers and, as our role has evolved, launching new and vital services into communities.

Typically, when we deliver change, we want it to be gradual. We want to take people on a journey over time. That’s not been possible during COVID.

It has taught us to become comfortable feeling uncomfortable and highlighted the benefits of becoming more agile.

“What does the future look like for landlords and our tenants? Nobody knows. But that’s OK”

However, it’s also made clear the importance of creating some space to think ahead – both individually and as organisations. The future may be uncertain, but that means we get a chance to write it. We can’t do that if we’re constantly reacting.

The decisions and changes we make in our organisations today will impact tenants for years to come. Operating in a constant state of crisis is only sustainable for so long.

Over the past few months, I’ve been working with the team at ForHousing to develop a set of principles that will guide how we deliver services over the coming years and help us have an impact in an uncertain and changing world.

This time for strategic thinking has given us clarity in the chaos and will allow us to move quickly and have the biggest possible impact on the well-being of communities.

By looking at ways to become more agile and more customer focused, we can be sure to create economic value. This, in turn, will allow us to deliver social value. That will help us improve lives.

We will invest in initiatives that improve communities and empower people to get involved.

Whatever the future might hold, we should not fear the change that lies ahead.

Opportunity, not fear, is the message we should take into communities.

What does the future look like for landlords and our tenants? Nobody knows. But that’s OK.

We have adapted to the challenges of austerity that led to us changing our roles in communities that needed us more than ever.

As society has diversified, so have the homes we build and manage. Perhaps that will change again if more of us choose to work from home.

The latest statistics show that nearly half of all working adults are doing so. That might mean providing more rooms, different infrastructure and faster broadband.

Despite the challenges of furloughing, homeschooling and the closure of businesses, the average house price in the UK still rose by 8.5% during 2020.

The North West of England experienced the highest annual growth, of more than 11%. Are homes now out of reach of more people than ever?

It is homes which make more things possible for more people and we will need to offer more ways to access them than ever before.

2020 was a year like no other. It is difficult to see what the rest of 2021 shall bring us.

But I am confident that, as a sector, we will continue to meet the challenges that lie ahead and deliver outstanding service for those who need us most.

 

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