In our social housing sector, the focus on the quality of homes has heightened in recent years. The tragic fire at Grenfell has led to the introduction of an enhanced regulatory and oversight regime. The death of Awaab Ishak and other cases have shocked the sector and our stakeholders and have driven both further policy reform and change within the sector.

Part of the sector’s response has been through the actions linked to the recommendations of the Better Social Housing Review, which has included work on both improving repairs and maintenance and improving the sector’s approach to monitoring its homes through our Knowing our Homes project.

Rising to the challenge of the quality homes agenda, the sector has increased investment in existing homes by 20% in each of the last two years. And that trend is set to continue as the sector strives to both improve homes and services, and prepare for a net zero future.

The increased spend now and in the future on our existing homes has raised questions about how we make strategic choices about where and how to spend finite resources. This is particularly the case given the incredibly high levels of need for social housing. NHF research has shown that 4.2m people would benefit from access to a social home, including 1.3m children.

Our sector faces significant challenges in meeting the investment needs of our existing homes and new ones, as well as continuing to improve services to meet the expectations of our residents and to comply with the requirements of the revised consumer regulatory regime.

And as things stand, there is a lack of long-term certainty around fundamental policy areas that includes Decent Homes, the pathway to Net Zero, rents, the next iteration of the affordable homes programme, and aspects of the new regulatory regime that are yet to be implemented.

Working together

Our job at the NHF is to both shape the policy environment and support our members to collaborate on sector-wide issues. That’s why I’m delighted to have the pleasure of co-chair the NHF’s Quality Homes Conference (16-17 October) this year in Leicester where we’ll focus on both of those things. This is the conference formerly known as the Asset Management Conference, which I know many of you attend every year. I’m looking forward to this year particularly because it will directly address so many essential issues.

We'll hear from high level executives sharing strategic and operational solutions, case studies and best practice. The discussions about these will provide essential new ideas and inspiration for improving residents’ homes and services.

There will also be updates on the policy and regulation that determine our operating environment, and the NHF will be launching crucial new resources to support you to meet some of the challenges we’ll discuss.

I’m really looking forward to this year’s conference – I hope to see you there!