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What does the future hold for housing? That’s the overarching question this month’s Housing 2016, the CIH conference and exhibition, is seeking to address.
Source: Sira Studios
Key figures with different perspectives on housing and its challenges tell us about the the Housing 2016 sessions they’re most looking forward to.
“There’s a real depth of experience and expertise in this session’s panel. The current environment presents more opportunities and threats than we’ve seen for years - the trick is in working out where the balance lies. I hope it will spark some useful prompts.”
“For homelessness to end, it’s vital councils have the stock to meet their duties. The sector must work with a common purpose in addressing the needs of people left outside the focus on homeownership.”
“The only thing crucial to the future of social housing is the visible delivery of new homes - any homes - produced by all and any means necessary. Everything is incidental to that imperative. No delivery, and social housing doesn’t survive - it really is that simple.”
“I may not sound sexy highlighting this session. But I am (among other things) running a £25m-per-annum repairs business, which needs to be as efficient as possible.”
Source: Jonathan Goldberg
“Housing’s big-hitters know engagement is not about face-painting but about tenants and landlords working together to improve services.”
“During John Healey’s tenure as housing minister he seemed genuinely interested in his portfolio and a real advocate for affordable housing. I’m interested in hearing his reaction to the ideologically driven changes that have impacted us and our customers. How does he think Brexit would affect the sector, and what does a national housing policy look like post-welfare reform?”
Development tops the housing agenda, with the government re-committing to its target to build one million homes in the Queen’s Speech last month.
While 2015’s 1% rent cut caused some social landlords to scale back plans, the pipeline - as Inside Housing revealed earlier this year - has kept growing. But following last November’s Autumn Statement and Spending Review, the focus is shifting fast from sub-market rent to shared ownership and market sale.
“It is great news £4.1bn has been allocated to shared ownership, but it has taken 30 years to create the existing stock of shared ownership homes - and the plan is to double this over four years,” says Helen Collins, a director at Savills Housing Consultancy. “That’s a huge ask, but it’s essential the sector demonstrates its willingness and ability to use its resources to build more homes.”
Starter Homes complicate the picture - many councils fear that imposing them on new developments will negate their ability to deliver affordable housing. Elsewhere, the construction sector’s capacity to produce homes (of any tenure) at the speed the government proposes is uncertain, meaning new models such as modular building are attracting interest.
Source: Guzelian
This year’s finalists preview their Housing 2016 highlights.
“Without doubt one of the biggest questions facing the sector at the moment is just how we combine the commercial head and social heart - when we need both to survive.”
“This a topic I have strong views on, but one that I think many in the sector struggle with. I believe the unanswered questions and hesitancy around it hold back our sector massively - so any discussion to move this on would interest me.”
“The housing crisis needs to be brought under control for us to tackle it. Having the opportunity to look at how other countries have tackled their problems could help to provide some inspiration.”
“With housing heading towards commercialisation more than ever before, I believe empowering customers is going to be crucial in maintaining our social objectives – especially as this is going to be increasingly challenging.”
Source: Chris Bull
Bound up in the accelerating shift away from social rent is the question of how housing associations’ commercial imperatives square with their original missions.
“We hear a lot about how commercial activity will provide resources to build more ‘affordable’ homes,” says Chris Hancock, head of housing at homelessness charity Crisis. “However, we wait to see whether they will be in the right places, with the right [kinds of] tenancies.” Some landlords have talked about stopping building new sub-market rented properties. Organisations have also cut services outside their housing management remit - around financial inclusion, for example - in the wake of the rent cut. Others say such initiatives should be part of housing associations’ DNA - a viewpoint housing minister Brandon Lewis appears not to share. What the sector will look like by the end of this parliament remains unclear.
They may not grab headlines, but the mutating landscape of the past few years - in particular welfare reform’s impact - means housing management’s nuts and bolts have seldom required such close attention.
“Although Housing 2016 enables delegates to look at housing through the prism of the wider world, it’s important to consider practice as well as policy,” says CIH vice-president Alison Inman. There’s plenty to chew over. Pay to Stay, the end of lifetime tenancies and the Right to Buy extension - with its associated levy on higher-value council stock - will all set challenges. Meanwhile Universal Credit’s rollout continues, while many associations are reviewing their delivery model in the light of the rent cut, and the commercialising world they operate in.
“We must embrace new ways of working to deliver services differently,” says Julie Evans, director of tenancy services at 12,000-home Curo.
Wednesday 29 June
Source: Chris Bull
The affordability crisis in many cities means regeneration is a frontline issue for the burgeoning housing activism movement, with one 2015 report finding that regenerating 50 London estates had caused a net loss of 8,000 social homes.
Prime minister David Cameron’s January announcement that 100 so-called ‘sink estates’ could be redeveloped did little to cool the flames. But a report by Savills, Completing London’s Streets, published simultaneously, argued that regenerating 1,750 hectares of London’s local authority estates could provide between 54,000 and 360,000 extra homes with no net loss of socially rented housing.
“Regeneration is crucial and has been sidelined too long,” says Tonia Secker, partner at law firm Trowers & Hamlins. “In the urban context particularly, regeneration offers one of the best means to stimulate additional supply and economic growth.”
With London’s new Labour mayor Sadiq Khan pledging that estate regeneration should only go ahead with residents’ support - and that social housing losses must be minimised - sharp debate is set to continue.
Housing minister’s address (09.45, Exchange Auditorium)
“It’s no longer a common event for government ministers to stand up and defend their policies, fielding questions from the people affected on a public stage. This year should be interesting.”
The future of the relationship between housing associations and local government (14.30, Exchange Auditorium)
“This session picks up on a major tension which has been brewing over the last year, and should produce interesting debate.”
It’s the economy, stupid? (12.30, Exchange Auditorium)
“House prices in central London are falling. If this were a tipping point, the impact on housing associations would be enormous given they are so much more exposed to market sale than they were during the last downturn. Given the commercial route most landlords are taking, all eyes should be firmly fixed on this session.”
Talent management and innovation in challenging times (09.45, Charter 1)
“Innovation is crucial to building success for the future, so a year on from the first Inside Housing Innovation Index research, I’m looking forward to hearing from RHP, who topped our ranking for innovation.”
Sophie Barnes, senior reporter
Devolution: fuelling regional growth, what opportunities does this present for housing? (15.45, Exchange Auditorium)
“Three council chief executives will say whether devolution is a genuine shift to local democracy, or if the Treasury is holding too tight to the reins.”
Keynote with James Murray, Sadiq Khan’s deputy mayor for housing (09.30, Exchange Auditorium)
“Sadiq Khan portrayed the London election as a housing referendum, pledging 50% of new homes would be affordable. Private developers forced his Labour predecessor Ken Livingstone to accept much lower levels - will Sadiq be different?”
What can we learn from Right to Buy pilots? (15.45, Charter 3)
“There are still many questions as to how Right to Buy will work. This session should provide insight into how associations are going about it.”
The impact of welfare reform on housing (10.00, Exchange Auditorium)
“The cap on housing benefit at Local Housing Allowance rates has thrown supported housing into flux. Will Lord Freud offer any insight into the government’s plans to mitigate the impact on a sector already struggling with previous cuts?”
Making fixed-term tenancies work (12.30, Charter 3)
“The move to fixed-term tenancies was an under-reported part of the Housing and Planning Act. Interested to find out whether they are being embraced - or if the sector thinks they risk depriving people of the ability to put down roots.”
The future of the relationship between housing associations and local government (14.30, Exchange Auditorium)
“The voluntary Right to Buy deal and the move by some housing associations to build more homes for sale looks to be causing friction with local authority partners. Some council leaders, particularly in Labour boroughs, have felt that the association sector sold them out by agreeing to a voluntary scheme funded by council home sales. This session pits Peter Box of the LGA against the NHF’s David Orr in what is sure to be an explosive debate.”
Tuesday 28 June
Wednesday 29 June