Harrogate week is to be no more. The traditional venue for the housing sector’s annual networking event has hosted its last Chartered Institute of Housing Conference. Next year it moves to Manchester and we are already planning what Trafford Housing Trust can put on to draw the conference crowds – after all you’ll be so close to us, it would be rude not to. Watch this space – for those of you (like me) who got no Olympic tickets, our do could be the next best thing in 2012!
So what was the last Harrogate like? To celebrate I've drawn up my own end of Conference awards, please note that the judge's decision, as ever, is final and no correspondence will be entered into...
My award for best session was definitely from @euanmills talking about how, as an unemployed architect, he galvanised a 10,000 home community in Chapstow Road, Clapton to carry out a local planning process and re-invigorate their own neighbourhood. How many sessions do you go to when you hear about initiatives with catchy titles like “incredible edibles” and “events in the gents”. Creative and energetic, this guy has got Chapstow Road rocking.
The award for best entertainment (in fact the only entertainment I got all week!) was that provided by the PlaceShapers Group - Trafford Housing Trust joined this group this year and the “entertainment” was a modest lunch which included Stuart MacDonald, the editor of Inside Housing Magazine, myself and two other PlaceShaper members talking about how innovative associations are taking their own highly effective paths to the implementation of localism. Hopefully some stories to follow in print soon….
Funniest moment award? Well this tickled me – but as it’s a kind of visual joke, it might not translate well. The Majestic Hotel Bar is the favoured late-night drinking place of the Conference (and a place I managed to avoid this year for the first time I can remember). The stories from that bar are the stuff of legend, as are the stories of the incapacitated trying to leave the bar and cope with the very steep hill it is on. Knowing this, an entrepreneurial Nursing Home right opposite the exit from the Hotel had a large banner advertising “Respite Care” – I’m sure a tempting offer for those who couldn’t face the uphill or downhill journey back to their hotel!
Most embarrassing moment award. Clear winner here. Setting off for my Board meeting back in Trafford on Wednesday afternoon, hitting a wall of traffic, and getting to the meeting 30 minutes late. Nuff said – sorry everyone!
An honourable mention for the best quote goes to IPPR – the Centre-left think tank. They described housing associations as being at something of a cross-roads – a recurring theme of the Conference – but said our unique proposition was that we represented “efficiency without greed”. What it is to have a values-based and not a profit-based motivation, something there is a danger that the sector will lose sight of. We value this heritage, lets hope the politicians do too.
The award for most worrying development was definitely the news that property giant Savills – who describe themselves on their website as “a leading global real estate service provider” – are advising a supermarket on how to become a Registered Provider. For some while now it has been clear that housing associations are facing increased competition from house builders, private landlords, and councils for the scarce resources available to support the development of new homes. But the entry into our market of a supermarket - send me your guesses which one – poses a threat of an altogether different kind.
Some may have thought Grant Shapps’ announcement that there was to be a further consultation about Housing Associations being subject to Freedom of Information requests was also worrying. While the level of red tape that it might involve us in were we to become subject to the Act could prove troublesome, our values are to be open and honest, and so in a practical sense it would make no real difference to what we do.
Recognition for the most inspirational speech is shared by Sarah Webb and Carla Keegans. Sarah’s speech (full text of which can be found here) was a fabulous example of how to make a point to government, while Carla was the winner of the Rising Stars competition. Both spoke from the heart, both made complete sense and both reminded the delegates and the politicians in the Hall that this is a people business we work in and that some of those people need us – together - to do a better job over solving this country’s housing crisis.
And that just leaves the last category. The award for best question. Unlike one of our Board Members I wasn’t in the hotel bar of the Majestic in the wee small hours chatting to the housing minister about the intricacies of putting policy into practice (you know who you were and well done for being fresh again for your session all about Tenancy Strategies), but I did get a chance to ask him a direct question towards the end of the Conference closing session, so of course the award for best question goes to me! What I asked was why the Affordable Rent system simultaneously provides an incentive for one Government policy – that of increasing supply – while providing a disincentive for another – that of promoting the Big Society. The Minister said he hadn’t made that link before, would reflect on it, and that any new policy would be named after Trafford. Result I think! You can be sure I shall be writing to him to assist his reflections.
Bring on Manchester and 2012.
So what was the last Harrogate like? To celebrate I've drawn up my own end of Conference awards, please note that the judge's decision, as ever, is final and no correspondence will be entered into...
 |
| From Harrogate... |
My award for best session was definitely from @euanmills talking about how, as an unemployed architect, he galvanised a 10,000 home community in Chapstow Road, Clapton to carry out a local planning process and re-invigorate their own neighbourhood. How many sessions do you go to when you hear about initiatives with catchy titles like “incredible edibles” and “events in the gents”. Creative and energetic, this guy has got Chapstow Road rocking.
The award for best entertainment (in fact the only entertainment I got all week!) was that provided by the PlaceShapers Group - Trafford Housing Trust joined this group this year and the “entertainment” was a modest lunch which included Stuart MacDonald, the editor of Inside Housing Magazine, myself and two other PlaceShaper members talking about how innovative associations are taking their own highly effective paths to the implementation of localism. Hopefully some stories to follow in print soon….
Funniest moment award? Well this tickled me – but as it’s a kind of visual joke, it might not translate well. The Majestic Hotel Bar is the favoured late-night drinking place of the Conference (and a place I managed to avoid this year for the first time I can remember). The stories from that bar are the stuff of legend, as are the stories of the incapacitated trying to leave the bar and cope with the very steep hill it is on. Knowing this, an entrepreneurial Nursing Home right opposite the exit from the Hotel had a large banner advertising “Respite Care” – I’m sure a tempting offer for those who couldn’t face the uphill or downhill journey back to their hotel!
Most embarrassing moment award. Clear winner here. Setting off for my Board meeting back in Trafford on Wednesday afternoon, hitting a wall of traffic, and getting to the meeting 30 minutes late. Nuff said – sorry everyone!
An honourable mention for the best quote goes to IPPR – the Centre-left think tank. They described housing associations as being at something of a cross-roads – a recurring theme of the Conference – but said our unique proposition was that we represented “efficiency without greed”. What it is to have a values-based and not a profit-based motivation, something there is a danger that the sector will lose sight of. We value this heritage, lets hope the politicians do too.
The award for most worrying development was definitely the news that property giant Savills – who describe themselves on their website as “a leading global real estate service provider” – are advising a supermarket on how to become a Registered Provider. For some while now it has been clear that housing associations are facing increased competition from house builders, private landlords, and councils for the scarce resources available to support the development of new homes. But the entry into our market of a supermarket - send me your guesses which one – poses a threat of an altogether different kind.
Some may have thought Grant Shapps’ announcement that there was to be a further consultation about Housing Associations being subject to Freedom of Information requests was also worrying. While the level of red tape that it might involve us in were we to become subject to the Act could prove troublesome, our values are to be open and honest, and so in a practical sense it would make no real difference to what we do.
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| ...to Manchester. |
And that just leaves the last category. The award for best question. Unlike one of our Board Members I wasn’t in the hotel bar of the Majestic in the wee small hours chatting to the housing minister about the intricacies of putting policy into practice (you know who you were and well done for being fresh again for your session all about Tenancy Strategies), but I did get a chance to ask him a direct question towards the end of the Conference closing session, so of course the award for best question goes to me! What I asked was why the Affordable Rent system simultaneously provides an incentive for one Government policy – that of increasing supply – while providing a disincentive for another – that of promoting the Big Society. The Minister said he hadn’t made that link before, would reflect on it, and that any new policy would be named after Trafford. Result I think! You can be sure I shall be writing to him to assist his reflections.
Bring on Manchester and 2012.
I am really interested to hear about the supermarket looking to enter the social housing market.
ReplyDeleteTake Manchester's Co-Operative Group - the UK’s largest mutual business, owned by almost six million consumers and backed by a multi-billion pound asset base.
It has a clear, ethical vision and is committed to customer service. A potentially fantastic social and affordable housing provider.
Competition is needed to drive up the poor standards of social housing. A company like Tesco or Co-Operative entering the market would shake things up, and importantly, give customers a choice.
Given the choice of social housing from say, the Co-Operative or Trafford Housing, I know which I would choose every time. (Sorry Matthew).
Anything that addresses the critical shortage of social and affordable housing should be welcomed.
Anything that ends the low standards and the monopoly on social housing provision is fantastic news.
Anything that breaks up the vested self-interests of social housing apparatchiks would be a great step forward.
"Most Promising Development", I'd say.
Thanks for the comment. Firstly, I should say that no name of a supermarket has been mentioned so the names you refer to may or may not be involved.
ReplyDeleteMy concern isn’t that the quality of any supermarket offer social housing wouldn’t be good – reliability and quality are features I want too. It is about what happens when private companies – with values based around profit – enter a market.
Don’t get me wrong - there are good models for private enterprise within social housing and care. But, examine how short-term profiteering activities lie at the heart of the current crisis of Southern Cross nursing and care homes and the risks to the 30,000 people who live in their properties and you will conclude that there are bad models out there too.
If we do have supermarket entrants into the social housing market, how can tenants be assured they come at it with the right and not the wrong values?