Northern Housing Consortium welcomes English Devolution White Paper

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The English Devolution White Paper published this week, is big news for the North.

Chief Executive of the Northern Housing Consortium Tracy Harrison said:

“Since the Commission for Housing in North in 2016, we’ve been calling for more local control to drive growth and opportunity in the North, and to make sure the diverse needs of communities across the North are met.

“Deeper devolution – including planning, skills and transport – to Mayoral Combined Authorities (MCAs), is very welcome. MCAs are well set up to convene and work with partners, including local authorities and housing partnerships, so it will help our members be part of joined-up, place-based approaches.

“The paper proposes giving MCAs more power and control over housing, regeneration and retrofit funding – something we’ve argued for strongly in our recent papers on brownfield redevelopment and warm homes. We found that centralised funding models were a barrier to MCAs delivering the change needed in their local communities.

“It also talks about local regeneration and a new version of the Long-Term Plan for Towns drawing on the New Deal for Communities. We look forward to working with NHC members to help shape and deliver this.”

We will share a more detailed briefing about the White Paper in the New Year, but our initial reflections are that it offers lots of opportunities for members to make a bigger difference to the communities they serve.

You can read the English Devolution White Paper here.

NHC members host senior civil servant in West Yorkshire

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 NHC members host senior civil servant in West Yorkshire

We had a fantastic day visiting some great examples of brownfield development and regeneration in West Yorkshire with Emma Fraser (Director, Housing Markets & Strategy) from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

Emma is the senior official responsible for MHCLG’s approach to housing in the Spending Review and the Long-Term Plan for Housing that will be published alongside it.

Emma is also the Department’s sponsor for Homes England and sits on their Board. The visit was part of NHC’s programme of taking senior civil servants out to see the issues on the ground ahead of important Government decisions on spending next year. 

 

First stop: Yorkshire Housing’s Moorfield Road Site

The first stop was a Yorkshire Housing development of 50 affordable and sustainable homes on the site of a former factor in Armley.

The site was derelict and had been vacant for almost 20 years prior to its sale to Yorkshire Housing. They are developing it for a 100% affordable and energy efficient housing scheme.

 

Next up: Holbeck Urban Village and the South Bank

These three sites sit closely around Leeds City Centre and are a great example of the old sitting alongside the new. These sites have created a new sustainable community, which was built using the latest green technology on brownfield land.

Holbeck is in the South Bank of Leeds City Centre, an area which is undergoing significant change and housing growth and a key part of the Leeds Transformational Regeneration Partnership.

The Climate Innovation District in Leeds is developer Citu’s flagship development, exemplifying their vision for sustainable communities.

When complete, the Climate Innovation District will consist of 955 houses and apartments, workplaces, leisure, retail, and a net-zero, multi-generational building.

These houses are the first to be built in Leeds City Centre for over 100 years.

Time for Lunch with Nick Atkin and the West Yorkshire Housing Partnership

Over lunch we heard from West Yorkshire Housing Partnership vice chair and Yorkshire Housing CEO Nick Atkin about the work of the West Yorkshire Housing Partnership.

Nick Atkin said:

“It’s been a pleasure to welcome Emma Fraser from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to see first-hand how we’re delivering the affordable homes people need, and to also understand some of the barriers we face in doing even more.”

“With around 85,000 households on housing waiting lists across West Yorkshire, the desperate need for more homes like these is clear.”

“Housing associations across the West Yorkshire Housing Partnership are making a real impact in tackling the housing crisis, but we can only continue to do so with a significant increase in long-term funding.”

“Reclassifying housing investment as infrastructure spend would provide the long-term certainty of funding, we need to help deliver the government’s ambition to build 1.5 million homes.”

“We’ll also continue to make the case for a 10-year rent settlement to give housing associations confidence to bring forward larger schemes and deliver more high quality, affordable homes for people across West Yorkshire.”

 

Onwards to: WDH’s Saxton House

At WDH’s Saxton House in Leeds, we saw how they are building 207 affordable 1,2,3 and 4 bedroom apartments on the site of an old garage. This development, which was originally earmarked by the developer for private rent, will offer a diverse range of residents a home on the edge of Leeds City Centre.

 

Last but not least: Leeds Federated, Sugar Hill Close

Leeds Federated have replaced 1940s prefabricated Airey homes which were owned by a private landlord. We had the pleasure of meeting two longstanding residents who had just moved into their brand-new home from one of the prefabs.

It was a great day! Thank you to all those involved. We love showcasing the work of our members to government officials and hope it will help our members to work with government to transform communities across the North. Thanks to supporter member Ward Hadaway for hosting us.

 

 

NHC’s Tom Kennedy runner up in Thinkhouse Early Career Researcher’s Prize

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Our Policy & Public Affairs Manager, Tom Kennedy, has come runner up in the Thinkhouse Early Career Researcher’s Prize for his work on our ‘Brownfield First’ report.

‘Brownfield First – how devolved brownfield funding can build a new generation of homes in the North’ looked at why long-term funding for brownfield development is needed, and how devolution can increase the impact. The research included discussions with Mayoral Combined Authorities across the North of England.

The research found that there is capacity for up to 320,000 new homes on brownfield land in the North. A10-year £4.2 billion funding programme to remediate all the North’s brownfield land is needed to make these homes a reality.

Patrick Murray, NHC Executive Director for Policy & Public Affairs said: “I’m delighted that Tom has earned some well-deserved recognition for his work on Brownfield First from the prestigious Thinkhouse ECRP.

“His excellent research for Brownfield First was timely with the government aiming to build 1.5 million new homes this parliament. The Devolution White paper has also confirmed that Mayors will play an increasingly central role in housing delivery including more control of grant funding to support regeneration and housing delivery, something that the paper made a case for. The findings from the research are actively shaping government policy on brownfield housing development.”

Read Brownfield First here.

We welcomed the recent allocation of almost £30m in funding through the Brownfield Infrastructure and Land fund for Bradford City Council’s ‘Bradford City Village’ project, which will deliver 1,000 new homes in the city centre. This year we organised a visit with senior civil servants responsible for brownfield land funding to see the plans for this exciting project.

Pride in Place: Views from Northern Communities Goes National

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Last month the Northern Housing Consortium and partners presented the findings of Pride in Place: Views from Northern Communities to a national online audience of around 400 people. The session was organised as part of the Homes England Autumn Learning Programme. Organised by Homes England’s Local Government Capacity Centre, the periodic learning programmes aim to support Local Governments, Housing Associations, and wider partners to create thriving places through knowledge exchange and sharing good practice.

As part of the session, the NHC discussed the continuing relevance of ‘pride in place’ and the interrelationship between physical and social regeneration, community empowerment, and how they both relate to identity and belonging. In taking part in the Learning Series, the NHC underlined the importance of its membership of Housing Associations, Local Authorities, Combined Authorities, and ALMO’s to Homes England’s Mission of creating high quality homes and thriving places; supporting greater social justice and creating places people are proud to call home.

Through Pride in Place, the NHC and partners brought together social and private rented sector residents to discuss what makes a great place to live, and how residents, NHC members, and other stakeholders can work together to deliver on local priorities. Attendees heard how participants identified the following priorities:

Public Spaces and Opportunities for Neighbourliness

Residents wanted to see their areas celebrate the local community.

This meant making the most of an area’s heritage. Ensuring historic buildings, landmarks, and green spaces were not just well maintained but enhanced as public spaces for people to use and enjoy.

It meant getting to know people in an area and building on history with a celebration of different cultures as well. Diversity of the local population was consistently cited as one of many reasons people were proud of their area. Whilst concerns over integration were raised, this fuelled a desire on the part of residents to see more opportunities to bring different cultures together.

Together, it was felt that these things would promote community spirit across generations and cultures, increasing social connection but also tackling loneliness and isolation.

Sense of Community and Decision Making

Residents saw clear roles for national and local government, civil society, and communities themselves in how areas were governed. But wanted to see more cohesive joint working between each and told us further support was needed to truly empower residents to set and deliver on their priorities.

Participants wanted improved dialogue with anchor institutions like Housing Associations, Councils, or other public services. They felt better joint working and outreach to residents could provide clarity on how and where communities could be more involved in their areas.

In doing this, neighbourhood groups could expand, or be established, to play a leadership role, upskilling residents and opening up funding opportunities in the process.

A Foundation of Decent Housing and Decent Public Services

Finally, as much as people had a desire to be involved in how areas could be improved, they were clear that a starting point for their quality of life was the ability to access what they saw as the fundamentals; decent affordable housing in clean, safe neighbourhoods, employment opportunities, and healthcare; all part of a wider public service system they currently saw as fragmented, under-resourced, and not visible in the community.

In reflecting on this, the devolution agenda was identified as being central to delivering on the priorities people had for their areas: encouraging sustainable funding for key institutions and their efforts to build homes and regenerate neighbourhoods, supporting greater collaboration in the way local stakeholders work together, and opening a path for the double devolution of powers and responsibility through to communities themselves.

Overall, Pride in Place: Views from Northern Communities underlined the important role NHC members play in their areas. Not just in building homes and regenerating neighbourhoods but ensuring residents can enjoy their lives in well-designed place with access to the kinds of employment, wellbeing, social and cultural opportunities that make an area thrive.

The session highlighted good work already taking place and underlined what an ambitious sector, backed by Government, could achieve both directly and through empowered communities.

 

 

Protecting the housing sector from cyber attacks

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Do you ever wonder how you would stop ransomware if it bypassed your existing cyber security solutions? Does the thought of the unknown vulnerabilities in your network keep you up at night? Are you concerned that your cyber insurance might not cover the full extent of damages caused by a ransomware attack?

If these concerns resonate with you, we invite you to learn about BullWall. Our solution is uniquely designed to stop ransomware in its tracks after an attack has started. With 24/7, 365 monitoring, BullWall detects ransomware activity, isolates and quarantines the affected user, and quickly identifies any encrypted files—typically between 10-50—for swift recovery.

Imagine having a solution to protect you from active ransomware attacks, that costs less per year than 2 hours of downtime!

United Welsh Housing, Tai Tarian, Tai Calon, Valleys to Coast, Cardiff Community, First Choice, Cynon Taf, Caredig Housing all did, and now they are all protected by BullWall, the experts in ransomware resilience.

Bullwall are the NHC’s newest Supporter member, broadening the expertise we can offer to our members. Find out more at our 1 hour webinar in January – and do encourage colleagues to join us!

Fantastic fundraising event celebrates Unlocking Success bursary recipients

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Over 300 people attended a fundraising lunch to raise money for our Unlocking Success Bursary scheme, which supports people living in social housing to access training and employment opportunities.

The event raised a total of £12,860, including a £3,000 donation from procurement partners Prosper. The money will be used to fund next year’s scheme which provides people living in social housing with £500 grants to cover expenses including course fees, travel, equipment, childcare and even living expenses.

This year’s Unlocking Success bursary scheme was our biggest ever with 35 bursaries awarded. Bursary recipients Sarah Wingfield and Naomi Taylor, both Livin tenants, and Karla Valencia Herrador, a Believe tenant, attended the event as guests of honour and shared their stories.

Sarah said:

“I am profoundly grateful to Northern Housing Consortium for this incredible opportunity. Their support has not only enhanced my business but also given me hope for continued growth and success. Thank you for making such a meaningful difference in my journey.”

Also in attendance was Katie Spittle, from Riverside, who was awarded a funded place on the GEM programme, to celebrate the NHC’s 50th anniversary. To be eligible applicants had to work for one of our members and live in social housing.

Northern Housing Consortium Chief Executive Tracy Harrison said:

“I’m really pleased we had such a fantastic turnout. This event funds our bursary scheme. It was fantastic to hear from Sarah, Naomi, Karla and Katie about the difference it’s made to them.”

A powerful poem Open Yer Eyes , created in the wake of last summer’s riots, as part of a project by Sunderland College, was shared. It reminded everyone of the positives in our communities, despite the troubling events earlier in the year.  Two talented Sunderland College students also brought some festive cheer to the event by singing Christmas songs.

Also at the event was Newcastle Eagles player coach Chloe Gaynor who got everyone moving with a bounce and clap exercise.

If you were unable to attend the event but would like to support the Unlocking Success Bursary you can donate here.

New NHC Chair and Board Members Appointed

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Tracy Harrison (left) and Charlie Norman (right)

We have appointed a new chair, vice chair and four new board members to join our member-led board. The board will continue to support our mission to be the voice of the North and make sure everyone has access to a good quality home they can afford.

We are pleased to welcome Charlie Norman, Chief Executive of Mosscare St Vincent’s Housing Group (MSV), as the new Chair of the NHC. Charlie replaces outgoing Chair, Paul Fiddaman, Chief Executive of Karbon Homes.

Chair of Outward Housing and Newlon Housing board member, and former Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) senior civil servant Jane Everton  CBE will step up to be Vice Chair.

Rachael Dennis, Chief Executive of Incommunities; Tracy Gordon, Lead Officer for Housing Partnerships at the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority; Steve Hepworth, Chief Executive of Ongo Homes; and Noel Sharpe, Group Chief Executive Officer of Bolton at Home, all take on the role of board members.

NHC Chief Executive, Tracy Harrison, welcomed the new board members, saying:

“We feel incredibly lucky to be able to appoint such an experienced and knowledgeable group of people, who bring with them many years of expertise from the housing, environmental sustainability and public sectors.

“They begin their new roles at an exciting time, as our new government continues to prioritise housing. Every board member’s expertise is valuable, as we support our member organisations to work in partnership with government to deliver real change for communities across the North. They will also play a key role in supporting our new corporate plan which will launch in spring 2025.”

She added:

“I’ve worked with Charlie for several years now and know she will bring a wealth of knowledge, expertise and enthusiasm to the role of Chair. I’d also like to thank Paul Fiddaman for his leadership and support over the past four years.  I know we will continue to work with him closely.”

 Charlie Norman, who previously held the position of vice chair and a member of the board for five years, has worked in the housing sector for over 30 years, both across the North West of England and in Vancouver, Canada. She has a background in community and co-operative development, neighbourhood management, supported housing and regeneration, and is Chair of the Greater Manchester Housing Providers Partnership.

Charlie said:

“The NHC is a unique organisation bringing together housing associations, local authorities and combined authorities from across the North. It’s a fantastic vehicle for sharing different perspectives, collaborating and learning from each other – that feels more important than ever.

“I’m honoured to become Chair at such a crucial time, working with a fantastic board and the wonderful team at NHC. The NHC has been right to prioritise regeneration and green homes and jobs in the North, and there is an opportunity to increase our influence with the new government. Devolution in the North is growing which is driving even more partnership working and will hopefully help target investment where it’s needed most.”

 New NHC Vice Chair, Jane Everton, joined the board in 2022. She had a long career as a senior civil servant in Whitehall including leading MHCLG’s social housing division, as well as working on the private rented sector and planning. She was awarded a CBE for public service in the Queen’s Birthday Honours in June 2015.

New board member, Rachael Dennis, has been chief executive at Incommunities since February 2021 and has more than 20 years of senior experience in housing. She has a background in strategic leadership, delivering change and business improvement, strategic finance and governance.

Tracy Gordon brings almost 30 years’ experience in the public sector, covering both environmental sustainability and housing. Tracy joined Liverpool City Region Combined Authority in 2019 and has established several new build and retrofit housing programmes, overseeing the housing element of the Net Zero Carbon plan and leading the North West Net Zero Hub.

Chief Executive of Ongo Homes, Steve Hepworth, has more than 30 years of experience in social housing and has worked at Ongo since 2007, taking on the role of Chief Executive in 2018. Whilst working for North Lincolnshire Council, he led the team responsible for consultation with tenants that resulted in the formation of North Lincolnshire Homes and the transfer of 10,000 homes from the council.

Noel Sharpe has been working in social housing in the North West at an executive level for over 20 years, working in London for 10 years before that. She has a keen interest in the relationship between health, wellbeing and good quality homes, and is also currently Vice Chair of the Greater Manchester Housing Partnership.

The new members, along with the nine existing members of the board, will play a key role in shaping our new corporate plan, which will launch in spring 2025.

Find out more about Northern Housing Consortium’s board members at www.northern-consortium.org.uk/about-northern-housing-consortium/our-board/.