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HCA chief: associations should expect ‘increased scrutiny’ over supply
The chief executive of the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) has warned housing associations to expect scrutiny over housing supply which they “haven’t been subject to for some time now”.
Speaking at the Placeshapers annual conference, Nick Walkley, who took up the HCA chief executive role earlier this year, said: “In every meeting I’ve had over the past seven months with senior politicians – chancellor down – supply is the priority.”
Mr Walkley warned that the government’s recent interest in housing could be a “tremendously exciting time” for the sector but will also come with “increased scrutiny”.
He added: “We are back at the top of the national political agenda. But what comes with that is increased scrutiny and that increased scrutiny will be of a form and nature that perhaps we haven’t been subject to for some time now.”
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Housing associations have an advantage when it comes to solving the housing crisis, Mr Walkley said.
He added: “Local markets and delivery in local markets are absolutely critical to solving the housing crisis. This won’t simply happen through some grand national plan.”
Housing associations could make “better use” of their local knowledge to state their case, he said. “That stuff is gold dust – that nuance, that intelligence – and my sense is you could make better use of it.”
Mr Walkley said there is “work to do” to make the case for social housing and for greater supply, both nationally and locally.
He added: “I want to work with you to win those arguments because the alternative for me personally would be unforgivable, and I think for you too.”
His comments came just days after Julian Ashby, chair of the HCA Regulation Committee, issued a similar warning to the sector.
