The annual Housing 24 conference is the only place the whole UK housing sector comes together every year. The event strapline is ‘Uniting the sector. Making lives better’, which is exactly what we strive to do in every action we take. Our chair Derek Horrocks reflects on the upcoming event – and why we will be exhibiting throughout the week in Manchester.
Set to take place at the end of June , the event is one that I and many others are excited about. It comes at a particularly interesting time, very soon after significant news impacting the housing sector regarding the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund and right before the public heads to the polls on 4 July. The current news agenda will no doubt influence many conversations that will be held throughout the week, but we must all remember to reflect on the bigger picture beyond the politics – including what the long-term aims are for the housing sector and the progress being made.
I will be attending with a specific focus on retrofit decarbonisation and look forward to discussing my thoughts and recent experiences delivering successful projects at scale with everyone from housing providers to supply chain professionals. The conference programme is packed with interesting sessions involving influential and recognisable individuals, making it a valuable opportunity to learn, collaborate and – most importantly – inspire further change.
From exhibition stand D49, my colleagues and I will be explaining our approach to retrofit decarbonisation across social housing, private rented and owner-occupier tenures. This approach puts people at the heart of everything we do, as project outcomes must be driven by community impacts and social change . Whether retrofit work is valued due to lower energy bills, a healthier living environment or a restored sense of pride in your home, high-quality and sustainable housing should be available to all.
It is a very important time to be working in residential retrofit decarbonisation as investment is increasing and the necessary scaling up becomes not just an aim but an expectation. Our own experience delivering projects through every phase of the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund to date has given us an expert understanding of how to achieve economies of scale, which we expect many to be interested in as they consider Challenge Fund or Strategic Partnerships applications through Wave 3. Please come and speak to our team if this is something you’re interested in, or you would just like to learn more about retrofit decarbonisation in the social housing sector.
We hold the same insight on the owner-occupier sector and are keen to explain our area-based approach, which looks to ensure no homes are left behind. Homeowners need financially viable retrofit options and assurance of high-quality, so we must all be working as one united industry to increase visibility of the benefits of retrofit and ensure we can realise our capability to deliver on our ambitions, and provide a financially viable solution for all
Housing 24 is shaping up to be a key event and we look forward to catching up with existing contacts and clients, as well as making some new connections too. Don’t forget to stop at exhibition stand D49 to say hello!
