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In Focus
A boost for housebuilding or an ill-defined gimmick?: Labour’s ‘grey belt’ plans explained
Labour hopes its rebrand of ‘ugly’ green belt land will help. But will it work?
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In Focus
The challenge of defining vulnerability: how do social landlords deliver services that are responsive to tenants’ needs?
The Housing Ombudsman has raised concerns about the way social landlords are defining vulnerability. Olivia Barber speaks with housing sector experts about what landlords need to do to make their services agile
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In Focus
Wider cavities are key to futureproofing homes
As we approach the 2025 Future Homes Standard, guidance around building new homes is tightening. Matthew Prowse, Specification and Housing Director at Knauf Insulation, explores how wider wall cavities can help housebuilders retain flexibility in their designs while futureproofing for stricter regulations that lie ahead
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In Focus
CIH vice-president election 2024: a guide to the candidates
Chartered Institute of Housing members have a week left to vote in the election for the institute’s president in 2025. Here is a guide to the three candidates
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In Focus
Does Roger De Haan’s Folkestone housing scheme deserve so much criticism?
Former Saga owner’s luxury Shoreline Crescent scheme has been completed following a string of headlines about its lack of affordable housing. Tom Lowe tours the building and is impressed by what he finds
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In Focus
‘Start now and try to move as fast as you can’ - CIH boss Gavin Smart gives his advice for the next government on housing
The chief executive speaks to Carl Brown about his thoughts on the manifestos, how we boost the financial capacity of social landlords, mandatory qualifications and the new Housing Community Summit in Liverpool
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In Focus
‘We will never lose sight of what happened’ - Rochdale Boroughwide Housing CEO Amanda Newton on addressing failures after a tragic death
How do you set about leading an organisation after tragedy? Newton was hired following the death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak from mould exposure in an RBH home. In her first major interview, she explains to Olivia Barber how she is driving change
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In Focus
The upkeep challenges of the UK’s social housing
Industry experts gathered to discuss how to tackle the challenges of remediating, upgrading and maintaining the UK’s social housing stock, at a recent roundtable hosted by Building, Housing Today and JLA
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In Focus
Warranty providers deliver more than insurance
Quality warranty providers offer expertise, security, and stability for you and your stakeholders
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In Focus
Housing Champions Q&A: Barbara Brownlee, Soho Housing Association
Barbara Brownlee talks about her admiration for frontline housing staff dealing with vulnerable people every day, her dislike of tower blocks with little public realm and befriending finance directors
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In Focus
‘Take social housing rent-setting away from ministers’ - Clarion boss Clare Miller outlines her asks for the next government
In a wide-ranging interview, Clare Miller calls for the regulator to be in charge of social housing rent settlements, gives her thoughts on the ombudsman and calls for housing to be given a priority in the election. Carl Brown reports.
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In Focus
Home Truths podcast : In conversation with Liz Peace
Episode 5: Follow the money – Liz Peace, former chief executive of the British Property Federation, talks to Jackie Sadek and Peter Bill about finding a financial model to kick-start a nationwide affordable housebuilding programme
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In Focus
Making a difference to people’s lives: My work as a neighbourhood manager
Katie Cockburn has worked in housing on the east coast of Scotland for more than two decades. For our Frontline Stories series, she chats with Olivia Barber about her journey and finding her voice as a changemaker in the housing sector.
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In Focus
Home Truths: In conversation with Labour’s Darren Rodwell
Episode 4: Bricks and mortar, hearts and minds - Darren Rodwell, Labour’s candidate for Barking and council leader for the east London borough, on how he expects the Labour leadership to reveal more housing policy detail now the election has been called
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In Focus
Home Truths podcast: In conversation with Toby Lloyd, former No 10 adviser
Housing policy expert Toby Lloyd talks to Jackie Sadek and Peter Bill about his time in government at the height of Brexit chaos, higher space standards, capturing land value and what we should read into Labour’s stated ambitions for after the general election
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In Focus
‘Customer obsessed’: Yorkshire Housing boss Nick Atkin on using data and tech to improve housing and tenancy management
Nick Atkin is well known for being a disruptor in the social housing sector. Here he speaks to Carl Brown about some of his latest strategies – and why he is betting big on real-time data and smart technology
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In Focus
Home Truths podcast: In conversation with Jennie Daly at Taylor Wimpey
Taylor Wimpey chief executive talks to Jackie Sadek and Peter Bill about why the planning system is broken and what would need to change for private housebuilders to consider building council homes at scale. Listen and read extracts here
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In Focus
Key takeaways and talking points from the CIH Brighton conference
From consumer regulation and repairs, to recruiting and retaining staff and making the case to politicians for a long-term plan for housing, attendees at this week’s CIH Brighton event were not short of discussion topics. Olivia Barber reports from the seaside.
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In Focus
‘We wouldn’t be doing it if it wasn’t wanted’: Duchy of Cornwall's project team defends 2,500-home Faversham scheme
The project team behind plans for a ‘Poundbury-style’ development tell Tom Lowe why the scheme has been unfairly maligned in news reports
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In Focus
Home Truths podcast: In conversation with Peter Freeman at Homes England
Episode 1: The Swiss Army Knife – Homes England chair talks to Jackie Sadek and Peter Bill about the importance of housing targets, reforms to planning and investing in MMC. Listen and read extracts here