You are viewing 1 of your 1 free articles
Why I joined the board of a Northern Ireland housing association
David Orr’s decision to join the board of Clanmil Housing has intrigued many. Here he explains what lies behind the move
In my last few months as chief executive of the National Housing Federation, the question I was asked most often was: “What will you do after you retire?”
My answer usually included the same three strands. I would, if I could, spend more time with my wonderful grandchildren, I’d stay involved in housing and housing associations in some way, and I’d be in the market for interesting projects.
So far, so good. I have seen more of our grandchildren, I have joined the board of Clarion Housing Group and I have accepted an offer to chair the board of ReSI Housing.
Both of these meet the test of being interesting and are asking me new and different questions.
“When friends and colleagues ask about this, there is a quizzical expression and an underlying question - why have you done that? Why Northern Ireland?”
However, many people have been most intrigued by my decision to join the board of Clanmil Housing in Northern Ireland.
When friends and colleagues ask about this there is always a quizzical expression and an underlying question – why have you done that? Why Northern Ireland?
The answer to this is that housing in Northern Ireland is genuinely interesting. I’ve been visiting the province regularly for the past 30 years.
READ MORE
I have visited a number of associations in different places and seen the quality of the work. I have encountered the specific challenges of the politics, and met a number of senior politicians, without ever really gaining a true insider’s understanding.
Many of the challenges facing an ambitious and committed housing association in Northern Ireland look very similar to the challenges faced by any association anywhere in the UK. But just below the surface, the differences are profound.
In Northern Ireland, housing is at the forefront of trying to build a more shared and integrated society.
A total of 90% of all social housing is in what are known as ‘single identity’ neighbourhoods. Clanmil is working to develop social housing for people who wish to live in shared neighbourhoods where diversity is celebrated. In the specific political context of Northern Ireland, this is bold, exciting and still much more difficult than it should be.
There is much goodwill and support for this programme, but there is also a lot of embedded resistance. It’s a project that is critical to continuing peace and integration in the province.
And then there is the political challenge of the current stalemate, with the Stormont government not meeting.
This has led to significant delay in what would normally be day-to-day ministerial decisions. Northern Ireland, like the rest of the UK, needs legislation to reverse the classification of housing associations as public bodies.
“Northern Ireland, like all of us, has to understand and prepare for some of the welfare reforms. This isn’t happening in any strategic way”
This has been done or is in progress elsewhere. It’s stuck in Northern Ireland and could mean that new borrowing is constrained or stopped.
A review of housing allocation policies is necessary but is on hold.
In an environment where allocations are heavily influenced by ‘intimidation points’, this review has to happen – but it’s also stuck.
Northern Ireland, like all of us, has to understand and prepare for some of the welfare reforms. This isn’t happening in any strategic way.
Despite all of this, Clanmil, like other housing associations in Northern Ireland, is doing some terrific work. With almost 5,000 homes in management, many of which provide support and care, it had 930 homes on site at the end of the last financial year. That’s about 20% of existing stock.
Many English associations are happy if they have a programme of 4% or 5% of existing stock. Clanmil has commissioned the first factory-built social housing in the province, with 40 new homes in Carrickfergus in production now.
It has recently completed a new, state-of-the-art supported housing scheme for people with dementia.
In a unique and in many ways uniquely challenging political environment, Clanmil is utterly committed to delivering its mission. It is ambitious, creative, imaginative and highly effective. It is demonstrating, as so many others do throughout the UK, what a huge contribution housing associations can and do make. And it’s very persuasive. Of course I joined the board!
David Orr, board member, Clanmil Housing
