Community Housing Cymru’s Post

What a fantastic place to host the Community Housing Cymru Annual Conference last week - Techniquest aims to "inspire people from all kinds of backgrounds" and "encourage curiosity" - perfect aspirations for an event that brought the sector together! Expertly chaired by Sian Lloyd LLB Day 1 of the event included: 🏚️ Stuart Ropke setting the scene, highlighting the importance of keeping social housing in focus; progressing despite uncertainty and the need to not only deliver new homes but to protect investment in existing homes - providing a safe, warm, affordable home with support services to ensure everyone can live well. 🪴 Jayne Bryant MS - Newport West setting out her position on the importance of (i) social justice, (ii) focusing on the most vulnerable in society with homelessness being the top priority (prevention, early intervention and rapid rehousing) and (iii) the pivotal role the sector has to reduce poverty and help drive economic growth. 👏 Congratulating graduates from Pathway to Board (half of whom have already secured board positions). 📽️ Investigative journalist, Daniel Hewitt, reporting from the front line of the housing crisis highlighting how much is left to be done to ensure everyone has a safe place to live in, with hard hitting footage that really hit home. https://lnkd.in/efYpbxmP 🏚️ A lively panel discussion (Nerys Evans, James Williams of Wales Cast and Joe Waters) on Welsh politics. All eyes are on 2026 - it seems we are to expect turbulence over the next few months. Questions arose as to (i) whether the much needed focus on reducing NHS waiting lists will crowd out housing, (ii) what to expect from the budget, (iii) whether there would be clarity on planning and net zero and (iv) the effect of increased NI contributions. 🏚️ Joy Kent and Nicola Evans disseminating their findings on the sector's contribution to the Welsh Government's ambition to become the world's first Nation of Sanctuary and the recommendations that can lead from "homelessness to belonging". 🪴 Joanne Oak and Claire Snook explaining how the "Growth for Good" and "Flourish and Thrive" projects utilise green spaces to grow food and to capture carbon. 💷 Stephen Valvona, Michael Brooks ACA, Richard Whittaker and James Tarrant discussing how the sector can access additional / alteranative funding. 🏗️ Keynote speaker James Bailey exploring the challenges public sector organisations face in rebuilding trust, with personal experience of the sector enhancing his delivery. 🗣️ Catching up with familiar faces (including Joy Kent, Louise Attwood, Naveeda Morgan, Victoria Bolton MRICS, Marcia Sinfield, Gordon Brown MCIOB, Sara Foster, Michelle Reid, Chris Kinsey, Rich Thomas, Jan Quarrington, Joanne Smith, Luke Takeuchi, Lisa Pinney) and meet new ones (including Abi Roberts, Nicola Evans, Jodie Follett). #CHCAnnual24 #ShelterCymru #BlakeMorganLLP