Welcome to our blog. Here you’ll find insights, opinions and thoughts on a wide range of housing-related topics from experts from across the housing spectrum.
What do you think of what’s being said? Leave a comment to join the debate, but make sure you read our comments guidance first. Please note guest bloggers views don’t necessarily reflect those of the National Housing Federation.
14 October 2019
Jessica Sellick, Board Member at LACE Housing Association
As a smaller housing association, delivering on our ambition to build more homes and meet housing need has been easier with the right preparation and partnerships in place, as well as a strong board with robust systems.
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10 October 2019
Gerry is an ex-service user and now a project volunteer at St Mungo’s
Gerry became homeless as a teenager after suffering abuse. He has also survived attacks, alcohol misuse, illness and adversity. After turning his life around, Gerry, 53, is now a project volunteer, peer digital champion and locum worker at St Mungo’s. This is his story.
10 October 2019
Grainne Heselwood, Chair of Salix Homes
Grainne Heselwood, Chair of Salix Homes, describes her experience as a housing association chair, and offers advice on ensuring you have the right skills on your board and you’re prepared for the challenges ahead. Grainne also chairs our Board Member National Group, which guides and supports the Federation’s work for housing association board members.
10 October 2019
A blog from Origin Housing Care and Support
For World Mental Health Day 2019 we look at how one housing association supports good mental health among both staff and tenants.
9 October 2019
Duncan Neish, Policy Officer, National Housing Federation
November’s Accelerated Planning Green Paper will be an opportunity to promote improvements that would benefit all involved in the planning system.
7 October 2019
Leslie Channon is the organiser of #HousingDay
#HousingDay – an annual celebration of the important role housing associations play in society – is an opportunity for you to highlight the excellent work you do, and the many and various ways you’re making things better for everybody.
25 September 2019
Chris Bancroft, Head of Events at the National Housing Federation
What an inspiring and thought-provoking two days at the National Housing Summit 2019.
25 September 2019
Ian Gilders – Director of Housing at Advance Housing and Support Ltd
Housing associations are customer service organisations with a social purpose. As such, there is not much that is more important than ensuring tenants have their voices heard and that their views are sought and acted on. This is happening across the housing association community, under the framework of Together with Tenants.
23 September 2019
Kate Henderson is Chief Executive of the National Housing Federation
Today we published new research revealing the true extent of England’s broken housing market. Our figures reveal that one in every seven people is directly affected in some way by the housing crisis. That’s 8.4 million people in need of a suitable home.
16 September 2019
Valerie Oldfield, Chair of the Together with Tenants Tenant Advisory Panel
This is my first blog as Chair of the Tenant Advisory Panel. I wanted to give you a mixture of my thoughts and, hopefully, those of the rest of the panel.
9 September 2019
Scott Darroch is Head of Strategic Communications and Engagement at Gas Safe Register
Gas Safety Week (16-22 September 2019) sees organisations from across the UK working together to raise awareness of the dangers of poorly maintained gas appliances, which can cause gas leaks, fires, explosions and carbon monoxide poisoning.
29 August 2019
Andy Skarzynski, Executive Director of People, Information and Culture at Yarlington
At Yarlington, the customer is at the heart of everything we do. We’re committed to delivering great homes, services and opportunities that meet our customers’ needs and to work with them to make improvements.
22 August 2019
Noel Brosnan, Director of Asset Management at Octavia Housing
The National Housing Federation recently hosted a webinar on what the climate crisis could mean for housing associations and their boards.
21 August 2019
Sandy Kelly, Onward Living, and shared ownership campaign steering group member
It’s now just a matter of weeks until the launch of this exciting new campaign.
15 August 2019
Kate Henderson, Chief Executive, National Housing Federation
Housing associations are driven by strong social values, and this is one of the things I love about working in our sector. But there is more that we can and should be doing to ensure our leadership is diverse, and that our workplaces embrace equality.
2 August 2019
Kate Henderson, Chief Executive, National Housing Federation
At the Federation, we talk about ‘homes’ not ‘housing units’. Housing associations do so much more than build houses. They create places and communities where people want to live, the facilities and opportunities to help them thrive, and the green spaces and community groups that give people a sense of pride and belonging for the place they live.
26 July 2019
Kate Henderson is Chief Executive of the National Housing Federation
Housing. There it was, in Boris Johnson’s first statement to Parliament as Prime Minister: a commitment to announce investment in housing as part of vital infrastructure.
25 July 2019
Jeremy Gray is Chief Executive at Evolve Housing and Support
Looking at the successes and challenges of the Homelessness Reduction Act one year on.
24 July 2019
Charlotte Murray is Director of Care, Health and Wellbeing at South Yorkshire Housing Association
With entrenched problems like homelessness, it can be easy to become despondent, but as a sector who provide homes for those who need them most, it’s vital that we don’t.
22 July 2019
Sarah-Jane is an External Affairs Manager at the National Housing Federation and leads on our homelessness work
Analysis of the latest homelessness statistics reveals that for every new social home built in England, eight families are accepted as homeless by their local council. Sarah-Jane Gay talks us through the problem and the solution.
