Things Fall Apart or A Brave New World?

With the general election still fresh in our minds, the timing was perfect for the latest NHMF Service Provider Forum meeting which saw over 40 housing professionals join, to hear more about the new government’s housing strategy and ask what it will mean for the sector.

The state of the nation

Our first speaker, Catherine Little, (Director, Campbell Tickell), provided a comprehensive summary of the global and local landscape, with a focus on the major themes likely to affect the housing sector.

Catherine identified a political shift from globalism to protectionism, climate change and the level of risk presented by the rise in AI as just some of the issues that continue to dominate, alongside growing concerns around cybersecurity.

With tenant hardship and fuel poverty still on the agenda, plus the ongoing challenges associated with net zero targets, increased costs and the skills shortage, it is hardly surprising that staff are feeling the pressure and housing executives are having to make some difficult decisions.

In summary, Catherine explained we are seeing a fragmented electorate, which is anything but stable. With end users likely to be feeling financially squeezed and less satisfied with life in general, this is likely to lead to higher expectations – not only from residents, but also from the Regulator and the Ombudsman.

Despite these challenges, Catherine ended on a more optimistic note, highlighting the ONS reporting some recovery, with projected growth expected to rise year on year, albeit slowly.  

What has the new Government got in store for the housing sector?

Our next speaker, Anna Clarke (Director of Policy & Public Affairs, The Housing Forum), took us through the proposed new housing policies and key takeaways from the King’s Speech.

Anna picked out the new Planning and Infrastructure Bill, designed to modernise planning committees and provide scope for more delegation to planning officers. She also explained the huge impact of the latest building safety reforms on RPs, drawing our attention to the National Model Design Code, Future Homes Standards and the Great British Energy Bill as ones to watch.

What to expect

Anna’s presentation gave us some insights into the likely outcomes of new tenant satisfaction measures, with the first year’s results due to be published this autumn. We also learned more about the key takeaways from Rachel Reeves’ speech, which touched on mandatory housing targets, planning and infrastructure, renters’ rights, the Great British Energy Bill and the Skills England Bill.

We await the Chancellor’s summer statement to give us some indication on spending commitments.

Compliance Update: NHMF Best Practice

NHMF Adviser, Andrew Burke took us through a short compliance update focusing on legislation around building and fire safety, damp and mould, net zero and heat network regulations.  Andrew outlined the importance of having a robust resident engagement strategy in place and the likelihood that further powers will be given to regulators and the ombudsman.

Andrew reminded members that there are lots of useful free resources and guides available in the Best Practice area on the NHMF website, so make sure you take a look!

Working Groups Update

NHMF Management Team Chair, Neil Watts joined us to share the latest Working Group updates. Neil outlined plans to add two new groups: Finance and Consumer Standards, plus the other ways for members to get involved by mentoring a rising star, speaking at an upcoming event or nominating a charity project for the NHMF to support.

Get involved: please contact us to find out more.  

Compliance Update: Code of Practice for Remediation of Residential Buildings

For part two of our compliance update, Peter Ajibola (MHCLG) brought us up to speed on the The Code of Practice for the Remediation of Residential Buildings.

Peter outlined the importance of residents as key stakeholders when considering the impact of remediation works and provided a useful reminder on the role RPs play in promoting the code and using the toolkit to raise awareness.

This was followed by an update from James Aulton (Home Office), on the Fire Safety Act, including what must be considered in a fire risk assessment, PEEPS (Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans) and the latest amendments to the Fire Safety Order designed to ensure residents are supplied with key building information so they feel safe in their homes.

Procurement Act – new drop-in sessions announced

Lee Maskell (Equity Partner, FFT), updated us on the new SPF Procurement drop in sessions starting on Friday 26 July.

The sessions will give members an opportunity to share procurement updates, raise pertinent questions and compare live operational issues that come up on a daily basis.

Each 45-minute session will have a theme, and we encourage you to submit questions in advance to inform the session.

Please get in touch to register.

Stockholm Study Tour

The meeting was rounded off with a short summary of this year’s NHMF Study Tour from Melissa Woodall.

Sweden is well-known for its progressive approach to net zero and retrofit, so Stockholm was the ideal place to learn more about their Million Homes Project and the ‘Housing for All’ concept which still influences the country’s approach to public housing.

The group enjoyed a packed programme, including a tour of the Hammerby Sjöstad Project which is considered the gold standard in eco neighbourhood modelling…PLUS no trip to Sweden would be complete without a visit to the world’s largest IKEA store!

A big thank you to all our speakers for sharing your knowledge. The meeting provided a valuable opportunity for our members to ask the experts and learn more about what might be in store for us as new legislation comes into force and the inevitable challenges that lie ahead.

You said, we did

A quick reminder that members can download the first in our series of one-pagers summarising the topics discussed at our previous meeting. Going forward, we will be creating additional content in response to your feedback. Please visit the members’ area to learn more.

Next meeting & drinks:

Thursday 5 September | Hallam Conference Centre, London

If you’re not a member of the SPF, and you want to be among the first to learn about how we can collaboratively tackle the challenges facing us as a sector, now is the time to join. Call us on 020 8274 4000 or visit our webpage to find out more.