Housing Digital’s Post

As I mentioned in a previous post, this is The place to be next month if your business operates in the social housing sector - why not come along and find out why more and more organisations are recognising Helpthemove as the experts when it comes to managing their void properties?

With the general election on the horizon and housing among the key issues of the day, today’s #BTRAC provided some valuable insights from clients and peers in the market. Iain Murray shared some compelling statistics noting that despite recent viability challenges, the Build to Rent (BTR) sector is constructing homes five times faster than the broader housing market. Yet, BTR still accounts for only 4% of our annual housing output. This emerging sector has significant potential to contribute to the 300,000 homes needed each year, given more opportunities to scale…and panellists welcome opportunities for wider political support. There was palpable concern about potential rent controls. While the political appeal of capping rents is understandable amid rising unaffordability, Scotland's experience shows that such measures could hinder the supply of much-needed homes. I hope the incoming government recognises BTR's role in providing high-quality housing and attracting stable, global capital, rather than lumping it in with the often lower quality and poorly managed stock in the wider PRS. Panellists also flagged that renters are more price-sensitive than ever, particularly in London. As operators work to reduce costs and enhance NOI, it’s crucial for development teams to understand how to achieve CapEx efficiency without creating long-term OpEx issues. Luckily, at Cast Consultancy we excel in helping Clients to optimise their designs for capital and operational efficiency and procuring successfully in a challenging market. If you’d like to learn more, please get in touch. #BTR #DrivingIndustryChange #DeliveringBetterOutcomes #CreatingFuturePlaces

👋  I am speaking at the upcoming SDA Advisory Services event: SDA MASTERCLASS on Saturday 11th May in Melbourne! Attend the upcoming event which offers comprehensive content designed to equip investors and other stakeholders with the knowledge and confidence to minimise risks associated with your SDA acquisition. You'll gain valuable insights that will enable you to identify properties, projects, or sites across Australia. Throughout the event, we will cover a wide range of topics: SDA data research Feasibility and cash flow analysis Build design guidelines Tenancy mix options Product due diligence Design compliance, location selection & infill areas vs new estates Choosing an SDA provider Funding levels for participants & calculating SDA income Builder background checks Investing via Super (SMSF) Supply and Demand Data Apartments vs houses vs villas & floor plans and designs Future-proofing Metro vs regional areas SIL funding vs SDA funding Red flags when getting advice SDA vs MTA vs STA vs SIL housing Capital required to invest in SDA. To buy tickets simply head to: https://lnkd.in/gmxUzgwH We look forward to providing our commentary and helping more people understand SDA and all its nuances. Hope to see you there! #NDIS #SDA #Disability #Property #Development

One observation having read this insightful report on the global potential of MMC and reflecting on my work in other sectors including oil and gas, is that I have yet to see any industry be transformed by product solutions that can be more costly and do not fit customer requirements – regardless of government interventions. I believe it is absolutely critical for any business to meet the genuine needs of its customers - including on design, energy efficiency and lead times - and to deliver on cost and quality every time. In my view the MMC sector needs to address these challenges, regardless of government interventions, in order to raise the standard of UK housebuilding, particularly in terms of quality and environmental impact.  #housebuilding #ukconstruction #residential #housing https://lnkd.in/em3pMX6z

🏡 Curious about the latest trends in Ireland's housing market? Listen back to the insightful discussion between IPAV CEO Pat Davitt, Michael Dowling, and Matt Cooper on The Last Word, where they dissect the findings of the recent Daft.ie House Price Report. 🎙️Listen back here https://lnkd.in/gii7T-6w #HousingMarket #DaftReport #RealEstateIreland #TheLastWord Patrick Davitt Michael Dowling Today FM Matt Cooper

Had a great day at the UDIA NSW Annual State Conference yesterday. As expected, a big part of the discussion was housing – affordable, deliverable, well-located – and the barriers to implementation. Some key insights and takeaways: 📉 🏗️ 1. The construction sector is struggling to be productive, making development of affordable dwellings less viable. The construction of higher-end apartments (for downsizing retirees) is a feasible way to free up the detached dwelling housing stock for younger generations moving into the property market. 📈 🏠 2. Mid/higher-income buyers are targeting lower-cost properties in western Sydney, resulting in the cost of the lowest 25% of properties increasing relatively faster than the highest 25%. This has implications for equality of access as low-income earners are crowded out. ✂️✅ 3. Increasing the speed of approvals in local councils could have a meaningful impact on reducing dwelling prices. Suggested productivity boosters include increasing council resources. For instance, research in Los Angeles found a 25% improvement in approvals time-frames would result in a 11.9% increase in housing production. Available AI technologies can assist through assessing quantitative planning requirements, with trials starting in NSW and North America. 📋🏛️ 4. The NSW Stage Government is soon to introduce measures that help consolidate approvals processes across departments that have often conflicting approval requirements. All in all, the key takeaway is that we need to be innovative in how we get developments moving while still remembering we are designing homes and spaces for people - we can't afford to create a generation of poor housing outcomes. Rather we need to find the right balance between speed and quality. Many thanks to McGregor Coxall for sponsoring!

Brand new webinars coming to you in May! Take a look at our calendar for this month: Webinar | May 14th, 2024 [[ Awaab’s Law: How the sector is responding ]] We’re taking a look at how the law, technology and sector has moved forward and their proactive response to damp & mould. https://lnkd.in/eShVe4fJ Webinar | May 15th, 2024 [[ Take Control of your Service Charge Management ]] Ensure your service charges are fair, transparent and compliant! In this discovery session explore how your organisation can improve its service charge management process and meet the NEW Tenant Satisfaction Measures. https://lnkd.in/euN2B5cW Webinar | May 16th, 2024 [[ Resident Voice Index Research: The Hidden Cost for Social Housing Residents ]] We will be joined by guest speaker Anne-Marie Bancroft, Head of Consumer Regulation, from Altair Ltd who will be talking through the results of our latest survey and shining a light on wider topics impacting social housing as well as talking through the tools available to landlords to provide a new standard of living for residents, starting with floor coverings. https://lnkd.in/ejGDBMkx Webinar | May 23rd, 2024 [[ Meeting the New Tenancy standard: Ensuring your Allocations process is Equitable, Efficient & Compliant ]] Featuring a look into the transformative power of MRI Allocations, a cutting-edge solution to streamline your allocations and lettings process. https://lnkd.in/ersiwvuR Register your places now! #SocialHousing #Repairs #Allocations #ServiceCharge #CostofLiving #ResidentVoice

Ok time to test the DIN community and anyone else listening in. What have you found to be the most effective and engaging way of involving tenants and residents/customers in a discussion on vfm in a housing provider that could then feed into your vfm strategy? I'm looking for practical insights, what's worked but also what doesn't work and how have you evidenced the value at the end. Come on this shouldn't take too long the Best Value Act only came in from 1999! #housingassociations #housinginnovation #bestvalue #vfm #socialhousing Richard Beevers, Oke Eleazu, Jo Leckie 🌟 (Assoc CIPD, Cert CIH) Lizzie Spring, James Green, Jane Eyles

⚡ Plan To The Future: Scottish Planning Decision Updates ⚡ Each month I will look back and reflect on a noteworthy decision in the #planning and #regeneration world north of the border. There will be no criteria for what makes the cut, anything goes. To kick things off, a bonus for this month is a rare beast: a CPO confirmation. - The City of Edinburgh Council (Granton Waterfront, Phase 1) Compulsory Purchase Order 2023 was confirmed with modifications on 12 November 2024 to facilitate "the development of new council owned and private homes with associated heat network and energy centre, commercial units integrated into flatted housing block, a school, medical centre, culture facilities, active travel, mobility hub, and public realm". - The scheme underlying the CPO is to be delivered via a joint venture between Edinburgh City Council and Cruden Homes (East) Ltd and will bring much needed affordable housing to the city region. - 6 plots of land were the subject of the Order, with Lidl's interest being removed from the modified Order due to a negotiated position being reached with respect to the provision of a pedestrian access. On confirming the Order the Scottish Ministers took the following into account: - The planning and economic benefits - Required affordable housing - Financial viability - The decision, whilst not altering the CPO landscape, highlights how useful a tool CPO can be for both the private and public sector in order to unlock much needed regeneration.

With increasing tenant expectations and new regulations, we recognise the complexity of Housing organisations and enable seamless feedback capture to happen across a multitude of channels. So, how can we help? https://lnkd.in/eZs_PuiP Analyse all your feedback within one, easy-to-use platform and inform your service transformation 🚀 #UKHousing #housingtransformation #housingcrisis #tenantfeedback