Social Homes improves lives: a Shelter and IKEA research partnership

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Shelter is doing a new two-year research project looking at the impact of moving into a social home.

The aim of the project is to gather evidence on the impact of moving into a social home to highlight the benefits and value of social housing. Shelter recently published a blog which announced the launch of the research project and provides further detail.

They hope the project will be a powerful way to illustrate the impact and importance of providing people with genuinely affordable, safe and secure homes, and that it will help to make the case for more investment in social rent homes.

Shelter have commissioned HACT to carry out the research project.  HACT will be working with social landlords to disseminate a survey to their social tenants. They’re planning to partner with 30-40 social landlords across the country to make sure the project reaches a representative group of social tenants.

Social landlords will have access to the anonymised findings from their residents to be able to benchmark their results. The researchers won’t publish the data at the level of individual social landlords.

For further information please contact frances.harkin@hact.org.uk

NHC brings Pride in Place to Downing Street

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Our chief executive Tracy Harrison attended a reception of the Town Board Chairs at 10 Downing Street.

The reception was held to induct new Town Board Chairs into the programme by meeting each other, ministers, and introducing them to groups who will be essential to work with in the development and delivery of their programmes – such as the NHC and its members. Along with Levelling Up Minister Jacob Young MP, attendees heard from Towns Unit Chair Adam Hawksbee.

The theme of the reception centred around pride in place, funding, crime, arts and culture, and community engagement. Tracy attended to represent the NHC’s Pride in Place work, which speaks to many of the issues being addressed through Town Boards and the Long Term Plan for Towns.

We continue to engage with DLUHC and the Towns Unit to ensure that our members and their tenants’ voices are heard. We also hope to see the findings from our Pride in Place report continue to influence the government’s plans on increasing pride in local areas. Read ‘Pride in Place: view from Northern communities’ here.

General election opportunity to transform communities and lives across the North

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The general election is a real opportunity for the housing sector in the North to make a case for change, and look at how we’ll work with the next government to deliver for communities.

Chief Executive of the Northern Housing Consortium, Tracy Harrison said:

“We are in the midst of a housing crisis decades in the making. Everyone deserves to be able to access good quality, affordable homes rooted in great communities.

“The General Election offers a real opportunity to transform communities and lives across the North. Social housing providers are already delivering for, and with, people to make a real difference. We can go so much further and faster with a genuine partnership with Government.

“In the run-up to the election, we’ll continue talking to the main parties about how we can work with an incoming government to unlock the availability of affordable, decent and energy-efficient homes in the North;  building stronger communities and kick-starting a green economy.”

There is plenty to come from the NHC over the coming weeks on this front, so do watch out for more news on the general election soon.

NHC disappointed by change to Renters Reform Bill

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Last week, the Renters Reform Bill passed its third reading in the House of Commons. It will now progress to the House of Lords before likely becoming law.

Renters Reform has been the source of continued controversy over recent weeks, following several changes being made to the Bill which were seen by campaigners in favour of the Bill as attempts to water down the protections it will provide to tenants.

Last week, the Renters Reform Coalition – a collection of organisations, including the Northern Housing Consortium, in favour of strengthening protections for private renters – withdrew their support for the Bill claiming that “In its current form, the Renters Reform Bill will be a failure”.

Principle among the changes that led to the withdrawal of support is the government’s decision to extend the period within which a tenant cannot give notice that they wish to end their tenancy from two to six months. In addition, the Renters Reform Coalition has called for the Bill to ensure that tenants are given a minimum of four months’ notice prior to eviction, rather than two months currently required in the Bill.

The government has also said that it intends to review existing arrangements around landlord licensing schemes overseen by local authorities in line with the reforms made through the Bill, with an eye to reduce the burden on landlords.

Finally, the government has confirmed that it does not intend to abolish Section 21 or ‘no fault’ evictions until reforms to the court system have been implemented.

As members of the Renters Reform Coalition, the NHC has consistently supported the initial aims of the Renters Reform Bill to “provide a fairer deal for renters”, to improve quality in the private rental sector, and to closer align the security of tenancies offered in the private and social rental sectors. We are disappointed that the government has watered down the proposals in the Bill.

Tracy Harrison, Chief Executive of the Northern Housing Consortium said:

“We are disappointed that government has watered down the Renters Reform Bill. The decision to delay the abolition of Section 21 evictions effectively kicks the issue into the long-grass and could weaken protections for tenants. Government must set a date when the assessment of the impacts on the courts of these changes will be complete.

“Government must also continue with its commitment to apply the Decent Homes Standard to the Private Rental Sector and set out a plan for improving the energy efficiency of private rented homes. Across the North, bringing all private rent homes to EPC C will cost around £5.4bn.

“Meanwhile a review of local authority licensing schemes aimed at reducing the burden on landlords could weaken one of the few tools available to improve the quality of private rented homes.

“Our recent Living in Fear Report highlighted the negative impacts of living in poor quality private rented housing. We are disappointed the Renters Reform Bill does not deliver solutions to the challenges private renters face.”

Government confirms one year rent settlement extension

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The government has recently confirmed that, alongside the introduction of a new consumer regulation regime, the current rent formula will be extended for another year into 2025/26. This means that in April 2025, rents will be permitted to rise by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) taken from September 2024, plus an additional 1.0%.

You can see the government’s announcements here.

 

Tracy Harrison, Chief Executive, Northern Housing Consortium, said:

“Government’s announcement that the existing rent formula has been extended into 2025/26 will bring some reassurance for our members. This follows a long period of uncertainty as to how rent policy will change and many changes to the rent formula over recent years.

“However in the context of 30-year business plans, simply extending the current formula by another year does not give the certainty needed to plan much-needed investments in improving homes, decarbonising stock, and building new homes. Local authorities are also living with the consequences of year-to-year finance settlements.

“We need Government to agree to announce a long-term rent settlement that will enable housing providers to tackle the housing challenges communities face across the North.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

An exciting future in housing

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Policy & Public Affairs Officer Joe Bews joined the NHC nearly two years ago and has recently completed his CIH Housing Level 4 qualification, through the GEM programme.

As part of the NHC’s 50 stories celebration, he reflects on his first year in the sector and how GEM has supported him to develop as a housing professional. He’s picked a few highlights from the past year as well as what he’s excited to see in the sector going forward.

What was your highlight of the year?

Through both the GEM programme and with the NHC, I’ve had the opportunity to get out and about visiting a range of different sites, from Passivhaus certified developments to MMC innovation factories.

I’ve particularly enjoyed getting to visit homes where you can see the tangible positive effects home upgrades such as insulation have had on residents’ lives. It’s brilliant to hear people say how much warmer and happier they are in homes that have been retrofitted, while also benefitting from cheaper bills.

One example of this was a visit I helped to organise with a local MP to an estate in Oldham which had had green home upgrades. I was delighted to see residents explaining the impact it had on their homes and bills to their MP who was able to see the great work of the housing association to improve constituents’ quality of life.

What is the biggest challenge for the housing sector going forward?

It’s well documented that there are various major challenges facing housing at present, but I feel a core challenge we as a sector need to tackle is ensuring there is the political will from policymakers to spur change. At the start of April, YouGov’s poll on the most important issues facing the country showed housing as the public’s fourth most important issue. It’s vital we illustrate that safe, affordable and good quality housing is intrinsically linked to other key issues facing the country such as health, which the public see as the second most important issue facing the country.

Our recent Living in Fear report highlighted the negative impacts living in poor quality housing – particularly during a cost of living crisis – can have on people’s health.

We need to communicate effectively to ensure the sector’s asks are heard and good housing is seen as a pillar of societal development. I think we should also focus on highlighting the ‘successes’ as much as possible to prove what can be done when the sector is supported. 

What do you think is the most important lesson from the past year?

That nothing should take place without listening and consulting with residents first. They are closer to the issue at hand than anyone and know what’s best for them, as one resident said ‘it’s not my house but it is my home’.

What are you most excited about for the future of social housing?

I’m excited about the opportunity we have to position housing at the forefront of a programme of national renewal. By linking health, net zero, levelling up and the cost-of-living to a large-scale initiative of building and upgrading high-quality sustainable homes, we can achieve a huge amount in a sector that is ready to lead the way.

I’m also excited about the prospect of encouraging more diversity in the sector. It’s clear to see that the housing sector could be much more diverse and representative of the residents it serves. I think improving diversity at all levels will only result in positive impacts for people living in social housing and should be a key focus for the sector going forward.

Discovering Amsterdam’s Green Scene, with the NHC and GEM programme

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The GEM and Talent in Huis team

At the start of this month, I was lucky enough to be a part of the GEM Programme’s sustainability trip to Amsterdam.

The GEM Programme provides learning opportunities for people looking to develop their career in housing, alongside gaining a level 4 CIH qualification.

This trip was in collaboration with Talent in Huis, who are long standing partners of the GEM programme, and deliver a similar training programme for housing graduates in the Netherlands.

 

The GEM Sustainability Stream

The opportunity to visit Amsterdam came as part of the GEM’s new sustainability stream. This is a new part of the training programme, to develop GEMs working in sustainability and to inspire creative leadership to solve the net zero challenge.

Our first task was in August 2023. We met the Dutch trainees online and were put into working groups. Each group was paired up with a housing association, who gave us a sustainability related problem to solve. We worked together to create innovative solutions, which we presented back to the housing associations.

Yet, you can only learn so much from behind a laptop, and due to the Netherland’s famous commitment to active travel, social investment and sustainability, we were keen to get on our bikes and see for ourselves!

 

Off to Amsterdam!

We were warmly welcomed by the Talent in Huis team and trainees, and we quickly became friends.

One of the most important things I learned from this trip, was the value of cultural exchange. We discussed and compared standard practices in the housing sector in the UK and the Netherlands. This allowed us to examine our challenges with a fresh pair of eyes, and problem solve with more creative, innovative solutions (pinched from each other!).

This was particularly poignant when discussing the challenges of meeting the net zero challenge, to decarbonise housing by 2035.

 

Visit to Circular Buiksloterham

A miniature model of Buiksloterham

We visited the urban renewal project in Buiksloterham. Ewout Urbach explained that this area was initially deemed as ‘unusable land’ owing to its industrial past and lasting damage from the war.

Through their innovative circular planning approach, they have created a thriving local economy. They are developing a sustainable, low-carbon neighbourhood, that aims to maximise the use of existing materials and minimise waste. Their innovative online library that catalogues existing materials across the city was particularly impressive. Their ultimate goal is to create Amsterdam’s first circular urban development.

This remarkable and refreshing approach to urban development is something we hope to showcase in our member engagement programme. Keep your eye on our events page for more information!

Floating homes in Buiksloterham

Sustainable Communities at Kolenkitbuurt

We also visited Kolenkitbuurt which is a social housing estate in one of the poorest neighbourhoods in Amsterdam. Before it was renovated, Kolenkitbuurt had fallen into disrepair and the neighbourhood experienced high levels of unemployment, poverty and crime.

So far from home, it was striking to see the similar challenges that communities face. The hard work and commitment to community cohesion from local organisations echoed of the projects I have seen from our members in the North of England.

In Kolenkitbuurt, they have a uniquely high population of young people. It was recognised that in order to support this community, more opportunities for its young people must be delivered. A mentoring scheme that recruited local dads to support the young boys on the estate struck me as a valuable and inclusive community initiative.

This neighbourhood has recently been renovated, to ensure that social inclusion is at the core of its architecture. It had recently introduced a mixed tenure design, and the staff were working hard the ensure community cohesion overcame social segregation.

The walking tour of Kolenkitbuurt

It’s ‘bottom up’ strategy was cemented with its brand-new community centre, that provided a safe, supportive and creative space for tenants.

 

Final Stop: De Alliantie

Our last stop was spending a few hours at De Alliantie, a housing associations just outside of Amsterdam in Hilversum. They presented their progressive sustainability strategy, and gave us a tour of their new ground-source heat pump project. We identified common challenges, including tenant engagement and community buy-in.

I am very grateful to the NHC, the GEM programme and Talent in Huis for this brilliant experience. I’m looking forward to bringing what I’ve learned to our engagement programme, and introducing new ideas and speakers from the Netherlands to our membership.

For more information on the GEM programme, click here to see their 2025 prospectus.

NHC announced as partner for Housing 2024

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In June, Ocean Media Group bring the largest housing conference in Europe, Housing 2024, back to Manchester for another year convening the UK housing sector.

‘Housing Week’ provides space for the sector to come together, discuss and collaborate, to identify solutions and speak with one voice to those framing the debate.

NHC members can register for a free visitor pass, giving access to six theatres of expert led content on the exhibition showfloor and the opportunity to meet with the entire housing supply chain under one roof. To secure your visitors pass, see here.

Our chief executive, Tracy, and other colleagues will be attending the event and speaking on some of the panels. We hope to see you there!

Find out more about the event on the Housing 2024 website here.

 

Dream career in the ambulance service for Bursary winner Simone 

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Torus tenant Simone is now working for the ambulance service after a £500 bursary helped her complete her training.   

Simone is a single mum of two children who both have special needs. Having regularly attended to her children’s emergency medical needs, she developed a passion and drive to pursue a career in the ambulance service. She applied for the £500 bursary to support her to do a First Response Emergency Care (FREC) course and C1 License training to drive an ambulance.   

After receiving the £500 bursary, Simone said:   

“I have applied for the C1 on my license now, and I can’t wait to start my driver training, which wouldn’t have been possible any time soon without this bursary! I am so happy and grateful to have people supporting and believing in me, and to be chosen for it.   

“I am definitely on the right path now and will soon be working and training with North West Ambulance Service as an EMT or training to be a paramedic at Warrington Vale.”  

Simone came to speak at our Unlocking Success Bursary lunch to explain how the bursary has helped her. She later updated us that she’s got the job and is now working for the ambulance service – congratulations Simone!