Next week PHA’s Director of Regions Sarah Lawless will be attending THE housing sector event of the year, the CIH Housing Conference at Manchester Central. As specialists in property PR, we always work to stay up to date with the latest industry developments and this will be a unique opportunity to hear from the best and the brightest in the housing sector during a time of monumental change and potential growth.
With the new Building Safety Act receiving royal ascent, further investment announced for decarbonisation projects, and a host of policy changes, the last year has been a busy one for the sector. This is all before even touching on fluxing house prices and the challenges surrounding development and the property supply chain. Therefore, we are looking forward to hearing what some of the most influential business leaders, CEO’s and innovators within the sector have to say on the issues that matter most.
In advance of the event, here are some of the topics that we are most looking forward to finding out more about…
Unlocking net zero
With a stage dedicated to this very topic, there are a wealth of talks and panel discussions on how the sector can innovate in this area. Seven months on from COP26, it will be interesting to see what progress has been made and what steps forward-thinking organisations are taking to reach the sector’s ambitious target. With a Climate Change Hackathon running throughout the conference, this will clearly be a golden thread throughout the proceedings, and rightly so. Retrofitting must be a central part of this discussion and it will be interesting to hear how those in the sector is tackling the challenges this brings.
Levelling up
The levelling up white paper has set out a plan to transform the UK by spreading opportunity and prosperity to all parts of it. It will be fascinating to find out more on what their strategy really means for the devolved nations and England’s regional hubs. How can those working within the sector help to bring this strategy to life? And how can we ensure that future funding solutions offer as many opportunities to those living in the Highlands as those living in major metro cities?
Ensuring that the housing sector has the right supply, in the right places to reduce imbalances that continue to impact regional housing solutions will be critical for its continued prosperity.
The cost-of-living crisis
With a triple whammy of inflation, tax hikes and soaring energy prices, alongside wage growth stagnating, millions of households are facing an enormous squeeze on their finances. It will be interesting to hear from sector experts on how and where the housing industry can deliver tangible results for those struggling the most. We know about the profound health impacts on those living in fuel poverty, so there is a need for more joined-up thinking to meet these challenges.
Providing safe homes
With the new building safety reforms set to come into effect as early as next year, tenants and residents are to be given more rights and protections around the safety of their homes. However, given the events of recent years, it is going to take an awful lot to build back confidence and ensure tenants feel safe, and are safe, in their homes. Stakeholders are demanding that sector leaders take a stance on this issue so it is expected that this debate will be central throughout the Housing Conference.
Meeting housing need
We know the government has set a target of building 300,000 homes per year to tackle the undersupply of housing in the UK. However, how can industry players make this a reality?
The government’s planning reforms will see the first significant update to the planning system in decades, but will this impact the delivery of social and affordable housing? How do we balance shorter and longer-term gains? What are the outputs and outcomes for local communities from levelling up projects?
With a lot of topics to cover in just three days, it’s no doubt going to be a busy event. However, if you would be interested in finding out more about how to raise the profile of your business, get in touch with us directly and we’d be thrilled to arrange a meeting.
