CIH President's Blog

Breaking More New Ground

2008-05-07T10:56:00.005+01:00

“Sometimes places just feel right and in so many ways Vancouver feels right.” So said Wayne Hemingway in his article for The Independent newspaper, and he was spot-on. He liked “the serendipity that enthusiastic and knowledgeable independent store owners bring to the shopping experience…This is a wealthy city that enjoys thrift but is not afraid to celebrate high quality architecture and public space”. Perhaps no wonder that social enterprise can take off in a place like this.

I loved the relaxed feel of the city and felt very much at home. I managed to walk to Stanley Park on a bright, crisply cold day and it was brilliant. I walked round the sea wall with a backdrop of snow-capped mountains every which way you looked. There were impressive totem poles, the statue of the lady in a wet suit, raccoons at Beaver Lake, more joggers than you could shake a stick at. Most of all I’ll remember how good it made me feel.

There was a different side to the city, which I found thanks to an impromptu visit arranged for three of us – Michael Lennon, Steve Pomeroy and myself. We went to 25 Hastings Street East, which was a privately owned hotel, I suppose. It’s been run for six years by the Community Builders Benevolent Group . Some $2m have been invested to date. There was a palpable sense of having entered a different sort of area when we arrived by yellow taxi – in fact, I had to check that it wasn’t Robert De Niro driving. Even at late morning there were plenty of people still lying out on the pavements. The only day I wore a tie…I couldn’t have looked more incongruous if I’d tried. Still, I thought…I was with a bloke from Glasgow.

The man in charge there is Gordon Wiebe, who was really helpful and gave us an insight into the people and the place. Residents pay $375 a month for 174 rooms across three buildings. The project brings in annual income of around $400K – enough to meet all basic costs without any grant support. It’s a lean operation but it succeeds because it has a benevolent owner, innovative social services and it’s run by agenda-free altruists. There are 30 staff, 20 of whom arrived as residents and who still live there.

It also succeeds because residents are empowered by a ‘bottom-up’ structure, where residents help residents. Gordon described their ethos as one where people ‘default to wellness’ rather than to problems. They strive to re-establish concepts of ‘community’ and ‘family’ with safety an important factor. They are pursuing a direction that appeared similar to a co-operative and I wish them well, they’re doing a great job.

Back to the Congress…Judy Rebik is one of Canada’s best known political commentators and delivered a keynote address on ‘Mobilizing for Change: Getting Housing back on the Agenda’. She spoke passionately and intelligently about reclaiming democracy, expressing concern that her Government continues to ignore the weight of public opinion. Judy used the problems of the mortgage position in the USA to show that ‘market fundamentalism’ doesn’t work, and that right now it’s like the train driver that’s died with his foot on the accelerator. Government intervention is essential.

She called for the establishment to let go of control and to trust people. ‘Network politics’ is the solution with the role of the internet critical. As politicians continue to rely on sound bites, people are showing themselves willing to look for more depth through the web. Judy felt that this was a significant breakthrough by the Barack Obama team, using the immediacy of the internet to get the right messages out to people. An inspiring session and one of my congress highlights.

The ‘cross-country check-up’ allowed people from a range of organizations and geographical locations to talk about current critical issues and new directions. The response came from someone familiar to us in the UK, Duncan Maclennan, who is Professor of Urban Economics and Policy at the University of Ottawa.

My main contribution came in an international panel session: ‘Building a modern housing policy for Canada in the age of global mobility’. I was privileged to share a platform with Saul Ramirez, Executive Director of the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials from Washington DC; Michael Lennon, Chief Executive of Housing Choices Australia and formerly of GHA in Scotland; and Derek Ballantyne, Chief Executive of Toronto Community Housing Corporation. We were kept in order by Sharon Chisholm of the Canadian Housing and Renewal Association (CHRA).

In both USA and Canada, the challenge is operationally doing more with less but strategically getting housing higher on the agenda. In Australia, there seems more optimism following their change of government with the introduction of a Federal Minister for Housing and the prospect of a new housing strategy to come. One of the interesting themes that Michael picked up was the watershed moment when the new PM apologized to the indigenous population, something that struck a real chord with many Canadians. Indeed, Canada is a diverse nation with over 500 minorities according to a TV report aired during my stay.

The Q and A session that followed was enthusiastic and many complained that the session should have been longer, always a good sign. It was left to Derek to pull things together from a Canadian perspective and to look at the potential for a pan-Canadian set of housing objectives.

I also enjoyed a tour that took in a visit to Fraser Street to see a newly opened development of 30 studio apartments. Operated by RainCity Housing and Care Society, they provide homes and support for individuals with mental illness who are in recovery from an addiction. It was interesting to hear how they handled community opposition – evidently ‘nimbyism’ is a worldwide movement. Funding comes from a range of partners and the scheme has been successfully integrated to the extent that residents now take part in a number of local community activities.

The trip went on to Little Mountain, British Columbia’s largest social housing redevelopment site. The process has just begun, with great expectations of what will be a public / private partnership. It’s worth noting that this site is Vancouver’s oldest social housing site, having been initially built in the early 1950’s. It will be interesting to see the finished site, going from an estate of traditional houses with fantastic space around them to a very high density model with open space at a premium.

I’ve previously mentioned the social enterprise work going on in Canada and a number of delegates to the Congress told me they are hoping to attend the Social Enterprise World Forum, which is being held in Edinburgh from 2-5 September this year. Perhaps this is something we at CIH should have a look at too. You can find the details here.

Of course, no conference would be complete without its social events and the Congress was no exception. There was a 40th birthday celebration with a chance to reflect on achievements and an invitation to ‘roast or toast’. The International Dinner at Pastis French restaurant was a great night: our friend Claude Roy spoke about the great links that CHRA have around the world and the presentation of their International Award to a Kenyan lady illustrated the type of support they continue to provide.

A Gala Dinner was held at Westis Hotel, followed by The EPICS – a Canadian band from the sixties doing a soul and Motown review. They were almost as good as ‘The Honky Tonk Angels’, a new vocal group who made a sensational debut at Cin Cin’s on the last night…don’t ask.

Some of my colleagues will have the chance to see for themselves what’s going on in Canada at the next Tri-Country Conference, which takes place in Toronto in October. It’s worth it. International exchanges like this throw up so much contrast and provide a real learning opportunity. I’m very grateful to the CHRA for looking after me so well, and especially to Sharon and Duncan – see you soon I hope!

Canada - Breaking New Ground

2008-04-18T08:27:00.002+01:00

When I was studying for my professional qualification at Salford many moons ago, all the students were once asked to line the corridors of the old Adelphi Annexe. It appeared that the handiwork of the work experience lads was to be inspected by none other than HRH Prince Charles. There was a guy from Liverpool with us called Rob who was celebrating his birthday. As a wind-up, we told him that we’d got a message to the Prince’s people and he had agreed to stop and talk to him.

I don’t know what the odds were, but that’s exactly what happened. The still relatively young heir to the throne stopped and walked over to Rob. He said "And what are you doing at the college?" The stunned birthday boy replied "Housing management, your highness". With left hand in his jacket pocket and mouth slightly tilted, back came the royal enquiry…"Is that anything to do with cooking?"

So it was with great interest that I listened to Prince Charles’ video appearance at this year’s Tai 2008 conference in Wales (Conference Highlights). He spoke very intelligently about sustainability, the conference theme, showing an awareness that wasn’t apparent the last time our paths crossed. We’re delighted that Prince Charles took the time to record an appearance for us and I’m sure the event benefited from his passion and commitment to the subject.My address followed, but I then had to leave to catch a train – I was due to be at the start of the Canadian annual housing congress the next morning. It didn’t look too promising as I was flying from Terminal Five at Heathrow. As it happened, I was lucky in that everything went smoothly and I was very impressed by the new facilities. And yes, my luggage turned up with me.

The change in time-zones meant that I arrived at my hotel in Vancouver at about 9.00 pm. I’d spent half an hour in immigration – they didn’t really like my passport not having six months left on it, so travelers beware. Even though the Canadian High Commission had assured me it would be OK, I had to have an official note secured to my passport allowing me to stay until a month before it expired, completely at odds with what appears on their website. I told the armed agent that I was the President of the CIH. For a moment he looked panicked, but after asking me again he realised that I was not, in fact claiming to be the president of the CIA.

The Canadian Housing and Renewal Association (CHRA), a not-for-profit organization, is the national voice for affordable housing for low and modest income households and the national network for building capacity in Canadian communities to meet housing needs. Sharon Chisholm is their Executive Director and you can find out more about their work at www.chra-achru.ca

‘Breaking New Ground’ was the theme of the conference, with CHRA celebrating 40 years. Canada’s social sector has increasingly been asked to achieve more and help more people while receiving less government funding. Amongst the strategic responses this has triggered from the sector is the development of social enterprise, with schemes related to social housing becoming more common. The Pre-Congress Development Workshop examined some of the connections with further potential for creating opportunities.

Brendan Reimer of the Canadian CED Network kicked off with a helpful overview of social enterprise. He emphasized that it was about "engaging in the process of possibility" and the need to believe in people and communities. Examples were highlighted of harnessing market activities to the benefit of those who are socially disadvantaged, such as the YMCA scheme where residents run a fitness centre.

Talk of the power of work to transform lives struck a chord with the recent direction of our own government strategy – using social housing as a platform for opportunity. Social enterprise in Canada appears to have started to fill needs that the market on its own won’t meet. It also gives organizations a chance to advance a particular mission and to enhance their financial sustainability.

I particularly enjoyed a visit to the Performing Arts Lodge (PAL) and an opportunity to meet some social entrepreneurs. One such enterprise was ‘The Cleaning Solution’, employing individuals living with mental illness to provide quality, environmentally friendly cleaning services. Another enterprise was outlined by Marty Donkervoort of Inner City Development Inc, whose company specializes in renovation and property management. They provide quality employment for inner city low income residents and quality services to inner city non-profit community organizations. Their goal is to be a self-sustaining employee-owned group of companies, creating steady employment and practical training for inner city residents. Their employees are what make ICD different, and they are committed to making a difference to Winnipeg’s Inner City. Like many I met in Vancouver, Marty was great company – Marty, if you’re reading this I especially enjoyed talking with you about your famous neighbour in the Barbican days…nice one!

PAL itself was a really interesting place, providing affordable homes, with support and creative options, for seniors and the disabled from the performing arts and allied industries. It comprises 111 units in Coal Harbour and amenities include a rooftop garden and a 100 seat theatre. PAL is supported by many including all the performing arts unions and associations. Check it out at www.palvancouver.org – "from standing ovations to affordable accommodation".

A couple of weeks before my trip to Vancouver I was in Aberdeen for the Scottish Conference and met Wayne Hemingway, who reckoned that Vancouver is "the best city in the world". Wayne sent me a copy of an article he’d written for The Independent to give me a flavour. In part two of this blog, I’ll be telling you how accurate I think he was and talking about some of the other conference highlights, including an inspirational speech from Judy Rebik from Ryerson University in Toronto. Thanks for reading.

Africa Express? That'll Do Nicely

2008-03-27T13:20:00.006Z

I was lucky enough recently to see Damon Albarn’s ‘Africa Express’ show at the Olympia in Liverpool. It was a reprise of an event that took place at Glastonbury last summer, where bands take to the stage to do a spot and are augmented by whoever fancies getting up and joining them. It’s a real fusion between top British and African musicians and it made for a brilliant night’s entertainment. Having taken to the stage at nine, they apparently launched into ‘Rock the Casbah’ at around three in the morning. I say apparently because I’d had to go by then – I had a meeting in the morning. Not very rock ‘n’ roll, I know.

So the evening included artists like Hard Fi, Magic Numbers, Reverend and the Makers, Turin Brakes, Terri Walker and assorted rappers, Get Cape Wear Cape Fly and Franz Ferdinand mixing it with Baaba Maal, Amadou and Mariam, Rachid Taha, Bassekou Kouyate and Wasis Diop.

The event certainly showcased Africa and its musical culture. My Presidential appeal is also aiming to promote the work that goes on between people here and in Africa, Zambia to be precise.

So how’s it going? A number of fundraising events have made sure that we’ve picked up some momentum in 2008. Events in the North East, Northern Ireland, Scotland and the Presidential Dinner in London have contributed around £4,000. Between now and Harrogate I’m hoping that we’ll be able to raise much more.

If you want to find out more about what life is like in Zambia please read here: /Presidential%20Appeal.pdf

More about Homeless International

Reasons to be Cheerful - Part Two

2008-02-18T16:28:00.002Z

The Presidential Dinner took place on 6 February at the Natural History Museum in London - the only place I’ve been to recently where a skeleton service is not the result of a post-Gershon efficiency drive. Yes, it is a glittering occasion, but why not? Apart from catching a breather at the start of what is shaping up to be a monumental year in the evolution of housing in the UK, this year’s event brought together all the main players.

A three-line whip in the Commons meant that proceedings were late getting underway but, given that Caroline Flint was only in her second week as Housing Minister, it was great that she was happy to honour her predecessor’s commitment to attend. Other MPs in attendance included Iain Wright and Nick Raynsford. Perhaps they felt reassured by the venue – any bugs found under the tables were likely to be at least several million years old!

So we felt it was worth waiting for Caroline Flint…and she’d had a tough time the day before. In fact, if the Archbishop of Canterbury had chosen to discuss the merits of sharia law on the same day it might have been a close call as to who got the headlines. So, maybe she would want to put the record straight? She spoke positively of the opportunities that we have and reinforced her commitment to an open and frank debate on the way housing can promote opportunity for the most disadvantaged.

In putting the previous day’s headlines behind her, Caroline said: “I believe it was important to open up a debate on housing and its role in supporting more people into employment and training and creating strong, prosperous communities”. In my address I had offered the Institute’s help in taking the housing agenda forward. We were all delighted that she readily accepted our offer in saying: “I look forward to working with the CIH and its members to explore ways in which good practice that already exists can be developed further and shared more widely.”

The Minister then introduced Sir Bob Kerslake, new Chief Executive of the Homes and Communities Agency – the new ‘most influential man in housing’.

This was Sir Bob’s first opportunity to address the sector since his appointment. He described what lies ahead: “It will be a time of great change, challenge and no little uncertainty. Most importantly though, it will be a time of huge opportunity for those who work in the sector and care about the issues involved”. He listed the challenges his new agency faces…it was quite a list! And to go with this big agenda, the Agency has some challenging targets.

He wants to ensure that people have the opportunity to live in homes they can afford in places they want to live in. And he wants the opportunity for local authorities and communities to deliver the ambitions they have for their own area. But for the first of these opportunities to be delivered, Sir Bob recognises that we must increase the rate of housebuilding so that supply more closely matches demand.

When this argument is made, there is often a concern that the drive to increase numbers will be at the expense of quality, the environment or those with special needs. Sir Bob categorically said “It need not and it must not”.

Whilst he asserted that the intellectual argument had been won on the case for increasing housing supply, he also felt there is perhaps still some way to go on making the popular argument.

I particularly identified with Sir Bob’s appeal to our own “housing stories” – times when we moved home and what it meant to us. “These are defining points in people’s lives – opportunities that may be denied for many if we do not respond to the supply challenge”.

Sir Bob set a test for our generation: can we rise to the supply challenge as our predecessors did in post-war times, but now in a more mixed economy? He emphasised that he “would not want anyone to go away with the impression that the regeneration role, the concerns of Hills, and the challenge of empowering communities will be of lower priority. They will not”.

Sir Bob expects the Agency to work with local partners to achieve and promote renewal as well as growth. Simply concentrating on housing without the associated infrastructure (schools, parks, public transport and public realm etc.) will not achieve the sorts of sustainable communities where people want to live, he added. Perhaps unsurprisingly as the outgoing chief executive of a large successful council he clearly sees local authorities and their partners as the experts on their areas, well aware of the need for infrastructure as part of regeneration: “the Homes and Communities Agency must become local government’s best delivery partner”.

Sir Bob’s aim is to create a wholly new organisation. “I do not want it to be seen as a simple amalgam of the agencies that contributed to it. Rather partners, government and staff must see it as bringing something new to the party”.

The new chief maintained that the central benefit of the agency will be its capacity to bring together the different funding streams and initiatives across the existing bodies and combine them in a more flexible and creative way - the Agency giving a strong national lead. But he also wants to give a commitment to work within a strong regional framework. “If we are to really support delivery of the government’s targets, our real strength will need to be through innovation and delivery at the regional and local levels.”

Finally, Sir Bob left us with his five personal tests:
• A tangible and positive impact on the delivery of more housing and more affordable housing.
• Doing so without losing sight of the wider ambitions of economic, social and environmental sustainability.
• Recognition as an exemplar regeneration agency, strong on collaborating with others and effective in making things happen on the ground.
• A close understanding of both markets and the needs of citizens
• Not just building on the success of existing organisations but creating something unique and better in its own right.

So the first taster of what’s to come from Sir Bob Kerslake and his new agency. It’s a big job, but it’s the chance it provides to enable him to make such a difference that excited him in the first place. Having confessed earlier that he’d been saddled with the inevitable ‘Bob the Builder’ tag, perhaps that’s a good omen. After all, Bob the Builder was at number one for ages. Go Sir Bob, we’re all with you!

Oh, yes. If you’re still not convinced about the event, it raised over £1,000 for my appeal, supporting Homeless International’s work with the Zambia Homeless and Poor People’s Federation. And on that subject I shall soon be bringing you news of the progress that it’s making. So keep watching this space…

Reasons to be cheerful

2008-01-14T10:40:00.000Z

Welcome to 2008 and to January in particular, sadly the most depressing month of the year for many, but surely we can muster up some optimism with a whole new year ahead of us? Yes, of course we can.

Let’s go back to 12 December. I was at an event held by the CIH and the Housing Corporation at Millbank. Yvette Cooper went through what she saw as some of the highlights of 2007 before reminding us of a few reasons to be gloomy…growing numbers on waiting lists, worklessness, dissatisfaction with neighbourhoods, that sort of thing. But then, just in time for the New Year, some reasons to be cheerful as she let us see the future of social housing.

Ms Cooper’s vision centred on moving social housing from providing affordability and security to something more ambitious – supporting opportunity. She stressed her desire to work closely with the sector in order to ensure that social and affordable housing gives people the secure base they need to make a better life for themselves and their families. Good start.

The first announcement in the speech was about increasing supply and investment in housing: more funding for ALMOs with four new ones having joined the programme and £2.4 billion to be spent on decent homes over the next three years. (Rhodri – why is there still no Welsh translation for ALMO?)

Then we had regulation, Ms Cooper stressing that it should be a light touch system with rewards for performance and innovation. She said that “it’s so important that the regulator can champion tenants’ interests”.

At CIH we’re calling for the Housing and Regeneration Bill to be amended to include domain-wide regulation for the new Office for Tenants and Social Landlords (Oftenant) so that all residents of affordable housing – whether their landlord is a council, ALMO or housing association – are protected to the same degree, and we believe that this can be achieved in time for the launch of Oftenant in 2009.

The minister also promised a review of the local authority housing finance system (Oftderided) – the Housing Revenue Account – with a view to creating a fairer system that will help councils think about the long-term interests of their stock. Apparently no more than five people have ever understood the HRA - two have retired, two have gone mad and the other is in Nicaragua (Happy New Year, John). On a positive note, look out for Steve Wilcox performing his self-penned “HRA Blues” at Harrogate in June.

The third theme of the speech was improving mobility and choice in social housing. Here the minister was critical of a system that is too inflexible – that neither allows growing families to move quickly enough nor that gives older people the chance to move closer to their families. “Too many people are getting stuck in particular homes in particular places”, she said, “we need to do more with existing homes and provide more suitable help, more options and more mobility for families right now.”

There was praise for the choice based lettings schemes already in place and £3.8m funding to expand the schemes across local council boundaries. The aim is to enable all local authorities to be part of a sub regional choice based lettings scheme by 2010. Good move – choice is so valuable in terms of its impact on people’s perceptions. The minister also announced new measures to tackle overcrowding with £15m to support 38 pathfinder areas under pressure around the country.

Ms Cooper also stressed that families on the waiting list should be given the option of shared ownership or private rented sector housing as well as social renting across different local authority areas in order to give them maximum choice about where they can move to. This was accompanied by a commitment to review the private rented sector in 2008. This is an area that I think needs major attention, particularly if it is going to play a more significant role in meeting people’s needs.

Under the fourth theme, social mobility and the ability to build up assets and savings, Ms Cooper seized upon the growing polarisation in society between families who live in social housing and those who are home owners. “How can social housing support social mobility in the 21st century?” she asked, before targeting the problems of worklessness highlighted in John Hills’ report as a step in the right direction.

I was particularly pleased to hear that there will be five housing options pilots, sponsored by the CLG, which will develop better advice on housing options as well as employment and training, creating “truly integrated housing and employment advice services”. The minister also promised a greater focus on the needs of young homeless people in terms of training and employment support as well as a plan to work through the Working Neighbourhoods Fund, a £1.5 billion investment in overcoming worklessness, promoting skills, enterprise and employment in the most deprived areas. I suppose a key measure of success here will be whether Grant Schapps still has to sleep rough next Christmas…we’ll see.

Ms Cooper also announced financial incentives for areas that are successful in turning around long-term unemployment which could in turn be invested in new community facilities or local projects. She emphasised the crucial part that we could play in this: “We want to explore whether social landlords could offer more direct financial incentives for tenants who are working, and working in the long term, maybe shares, maybe additional help towards shared ownership.” Can we? What do you think?

The final element of Ms Cooper’s speech centred on promoting mixed communities not simply by including more owner-occupied housing in areas of mainly social housing but to do more to mix up executive estates and high income areas with more affordable housing. This is sure to be contentious and progress on this approach may be a decent indicator of the Government’s determination to create mixed communities.

Yvette Cooper wound up her new vision by stating clearly: “We are keen to work with you”. Well, we’re certainly keen to work with Government. It’s going to be a challenging 2008. Let’s make sure it’s successful – then we’ll have reasons to be cheerful. Happy New Year.

Asian Pacific Visit: Exciting Era in China

2007-11-23T08:45:00.000Z

The day after my return from Macau was spent focusing on Hong Kong. At the headquarters of the Hong Kong Housing Authority David Butler and I were received by Tony Cheung, Publicity Manager.

Thomas Chan is the Permanent Secretary for Transport and Housing for Hong Kong. I was grateful for the opportunity to meet with him and his colleague, Lau Kaihung, the authority’s Deputy Director of Estate Management, to talk about growth and the pressures on the city. Hong Kong is still facing large numbers of people moving in from rural China. It becomes ever more difficult to help as there is very little room for growth, even though space standards are relatively tight.

During our discussion, Thomas and I realized that we’d both worked in Telford. I had been a Lettings Officer in the early eighties, a time when the organization was building over a thousand homes a year, sometimes outstripping demand – hard to imagine today. Perhaps it was a consequence of that, and no doubt of the poor design applied to the early estates, that brought Thomas to the New Town to dispose of stock!

Mr Lau took us to the Exhibition Centre, where we met Assistant Directors C Q Lee and Wong Bay. The Centre is a great facility, particularly for students of Hong Kong’s housing history. The first part is a model of Hong Kong, constructed in a way that makes it easy to follow progress. There are also examples around the room of facilities from different eras, such as bathrooms and kitchens, making it easy to plot progress through the years. You can literally walk over the city via ‘bridges’ – a bit of a planner’s dream really.

The second part is a library, not so exciting but an impressive facility nonetheless, and one which we’d like to have. Its collection is exhaustive. It’s even got all out Building Regulations!

Next up was a visit to the Homantin Estate, comprising a series of very high rise blocks – all immaculately clean and seemingly well-maintained. Looking at one or two empty dwellings you could see the pressure on space. But the most impressive aspect was the community facilities…and the people themselves. Amenities were planned and sited imaginatively. All age groups seemed to be represented in some way outside in the streets and walkways. There was no hint of any trouble, anti-social behaviour really didn’t seem to figure. This was complimented by high visibility of staff on the ground too.

Then it was across the city to the World Trade Centre, which houses the Hong Kong Housing Society, where we met Ricky Yuen and were introduced to a number of his colleagues over lunch. I already knew that this was a progressive organization – earlier this year I came across their Environmental Statement and referred to it in my address at Harrogate.

Later that evening the joint annual dinner was held between the CIH Asian Pacific Branch and the Hong Kong Institute of Housing. It was good to see students and seasoned professionals picking up awards. The evening featured addresses from our chair in the APB, Victor Chow, the chair of the HK Institute, Cliff K S Wong, the President of the China Property Management Institute, Ms Xie Jiajin, and yours truly.

So a late night was followed by an early start as I headed for Beijing with my four trusty guides: Victor, Hin Nang, PY and Edmond. Our trip included a meeting with officials of the China Property Management Institute: Xie Jiajin, who I had met in Hong Kong, Junda Xu, Executive Vice President, Chen Wei, Secretary General and Xinmin Xu, Deputy Secretary General.

The CPMI is a national public organization with the status of a corporation, coming under the authority of the Ministry of Construction. It has a range of functions including the promotion of good property management, training and qualifications, research and development and implementing regulations. It links government with trade and enterprise where property management is concerned. It is keen to implement reform and innovation and to be an effective trade association.

They gave me a very warm reception and demonstrated their enthusiasm for knowledge by grilling me about many aspects of our own housing practice. We talked about tenancy agreements and service charges, the split between the development and housing management roles, the regulation process and grant levels. With the pace of change in China they seem determined to learn from wherever they can. I have to say that the flair and quality of design is very strong in Beijing, with some of the world’s most creative architects given seemingly free rein to show what they can do. It’s an exciting era. The Bird’s Nest – the National Stadium built for the 2008 Olympics – typifies the boldness of the new developments taking place.

The ‘hutongs’ are intricate maze-like lanes that give character to the city, but many have been bulldozed in the name of progress. They are essentially single storey courtyard houses built with incredible attention to detail following the principles of feng shui. ‘Hutong’ is a Mongolian word meaning water well and homes like these have been built around wells since the 13th century. There is a real sense of community around the narrow streets, yet so many have been marked for demolition over the years. With little in the way of legal rights for the people who live in them, it raises many difficult questions. The government has promised to preserve some of them, such as the ones I saw. I really hope they do, but with property prices in Beijing spiraling, this may be a tough promise to keep.

Beijing is an exciting place: the fascinating history of the Forbidden City, the scale of Tianenmen Square matched only by its past controversy, the warmth and industry of its people, the ambition of its leadership and its new high-tech buildings bringing a new vision closer. That’s not to mention its food!

I must express my gratitude to my four friends from Hong Kong who gave up their time to show me places in Beijing that a tourist would never find, for their hospitality and companionship and for an experience that I will never forget. Victor, Hi Nang, PY and Edmond – cheers! Many thanks also to the other members of the APB who looked after me on other parts of my journey – Theresa Kwok, Susanna So, Raymond Sham and Eddy Mak. Eddy had to miss the Beijing trip as his son was getting married! Well, you’ve got to get your priorities right, haven’t you? I hope it went well. Finally, good luck to Milane, who works for the CIH in APB and who is moving on shortly to a new job.

Report from the Asian Pacific

2007-11-20T13:07:00.000Z

Ni hao. Greetings from the Asian Pacific. It’s probably fair to say that this has been one of the most ambitious Presidential trips to the region, with one or two notable “firsts”. Given that Chinese food is one of the world’s finest and most distinctive cuisines, it began appropriately with a dinner, jointly hosted by the CIH Asian Pacific Branch and the Hong Kong Institute of Housing. It featured another presentation and another landmark in David Butler’s ‘long goodbye’ as he closes on a long and productive relationship with the Branch and which has seen great strides in the standing of the organisation. It is sometimes difficult to get across just how well regarded and highly respected CIH is in the region.

Next morning and it’s off to Taiwan. The day began inauspiciously. Switching to an overnight bag I’d forgotten about the rules on carrying liquids, like shaving gel. Embarrassingly the eager customs guys also found a mini-Swiss Army pen-knife in my bag. If I’m not mistaken it was from the British Gas stand at the 1991 NHTPC Conference and Exhibition in Bournemouth. It could have made an interesting story for ‘Inside Housing’ but fortunately the authorities were very understanding, although they could see I was distraught at losing this prize possession.

We travelled from the airport at Taipei down to Taichung – only six weeks after taking part in Tai 2 at Llandudno, it was all getting confusing. Taking the THSR – Taiwan High Speed Rail – we reached 297 km/hour, almost 190 mph. Apart from a difference of about 130 mph, an absence of litter and stains, a lack of springs sticking in the back of my legs, no extremes of temperature and the train running exactly to time, it reminded me of the North Wales to Cardiff line.

I met a special Taiwanese delegation before an important ceremony began. As the first President to make an official visit to Taiwan I presented 33 new CIH members with their certificates – our first members from Taiwan and a rare outing for the Presidential Chain.

I was hugely impressed by their enthusiasm. They showed a real camaraderie and spirit. This was particularly evident when Victor Chow, Chair of the Asian Pacific Branch advised them (so I’m told) that the President would like to take whiskey with each of the successful new members…individually. What can you do? It would have been a shame to disappoint them. Besides which, it’s what CIH Scotland members would have wanted.

The following day and news of the event featured in two Taiwan newspapers, the ‘Economic Daily’ and the ‘Commercial Times’. Up at the crack of breakfast and on to Taipei on the THSR. A look at some housing and a trip up Taipei 101, the world’s tallest building at 508m, followed by a great lunch with Taiwan Building Managers’ Association then ‘home’ to Hong Kong. Taiwan is clearly an area of growth for the Asian Pacific Branch and there has been great co-operation in developing the relationship so far and a positive outlook for further development.

Macau is a rapidly growing economy and another ‘first’ for a President’s visit. It is a Special Administrative Region of China, like Hong Kong. It has a population of just over half a million and its official languages are Chinese and Portuguese, reflecting its history.

We currently have seven members there, but more will follow if their enthusiasm is anything to go by. We were hosted by the Macau Housing Bureau, who provide both ‘social’ and ‘economic’ housing. They employ c300 staff, although around 20,000 work in the housing market overall. The booming economy has meant increasing demand for social housing with house prices spiraling and only limited assistance to transfer into economic housing. We had a good opportunity to look at some of the housing both completed and under construction. Although Macau is only a fortieth of the size of Hong Kong, it is still able to offer higher space standards within its homes, as space is at such a premium in Hong Kong.

Macau has high employment and a reliance on migrant workers. Its recent success is founded on the gaming industry, which generated revenue of MOP $57,521 million in 2006. Whilst in the UK we prevaricate over the location of our casinos, in Macau it couldn’t be more different. They’re all over the place! No wonder they are now turning over more money than Las Vegas.

Like Taiwan, the Asian Pacific Branch has put in a lot of work to help kickstart professionalism and improve standards – a third CIH course is about to start. The private sector was represented at our meeting through the Property Management Business Association of Macau and they appear to be embracing the new arrangements to be introduced shortly for the licensing of their sector. One of the interesting aspects of their ‘points scheme’ for housing was how they are using it to continue traditional values – applicants receive extra points if they include their parents within the household. Older people are widely respected in the Asian Pacific and this is still a strong aspect of their society.

Apart from their enthusiasm our hosts in Taiwan and Macau were each characterised by great generosity. I hope to see some of them next year in Harrogate.

In the next part of my Asian Pacific blog, I’ll be focusing on the Hong Kong Housing Society and the China Property Management Institute, who I met in Beijing.

Out of Africa Part Three

2007-10-19T09:23:00.000+01:00

One of the things I learned in South Africa was that an alligator can outrun a human on dry land. Of course, I was already aware that an alligator can outswim a human. So if you ever come up against an alligator in a triathlon, it’s really important to get a big lead in the cycling…

One of the successes of the Southern African Housing Foundation (SAHF) has been to establish national housing awards. The presentation took place during the conference at a gala dinner at ‘moyo’ on the Spiers wine estate at Stellenbosch. It was really well attended and, like our own UK Housing Awards (taking place on 8 November), there was plenty of excitement and enthusiasm. There the similarities ended as we experienced both a cultural and culinary African experience. Fortunately I wasn’t allowed near the drums.

I’m afraid I don’t have the names of the winners to give them their due, but I can tell you how seriously it’s taken. There were three housing ministers on our table – from Western Cape, Botswana and Namibia.

The final morning included presentations from an international panel, featuring our very own Paddy Gray from the University of Ulster. Paddy spoke about the experience of segregated communities in N Ireland and was very well received. Rather unhelpfully I drew Paddy’s name out of the hat at the end of the conference and he won a huge set of bright red luggage – sorry, Paddy!

We also heard from John Pandeni, Minister of Regional and Local Government, Housing and Rural Development for the Republic of Namibia. It was encouraging that they want to increase community participation and create role models, to use people’s skills – a form of ‘sweat equity’ – and enhance community stakes. And from Minister D N Seretse, Minister for Lands and Housing for the Republic of Botswana, where they have set out a vision for 2016: "all Botswana will be able to obtain access to good quality basic shelter either in the urban or rural areas". He added that "lessons have to be learned from others on how Government collaboration with private and other specialized institutions may help address their problems."

The ‘technical’ tour that took place at the end of the conference took us all around Cape Town. We went to one of the townships where there is work taking place to provide decent housing in an area that is very close to work opportunities, and this seemed to offer hope that things are improving. But it’s a massive challenge – another settlement close to the airport covers around 11 square miles. On the periphery, children of all ages played football on rough patches of land at around 100m intervals – there’s a real enthusiasm for the game amongst the black population.

But for the most part the tour focused on the solutions. Quick fix housing at around £6-7,000 a home, using modular techniques to reduce build time, was being used on available infill sites. It wasn’t necessarily popular with all delegates - Christian from Namibia would have preferred to see a more traditional construction that used all the trades as employment is a fundamental issue. Once again, an example of how the language and terminology might be different but the issues and problems are somehow familiar the world over. There seemed to be plenty of land but the bureaucracy involved in releasing it for housing was a major obstacle to progress.

By common consent it had been a successful conference. I had found it a fascinating experience. There was definitely a sense of optimism about the future and I didn’t get the impression that people were too daunted by the magnitude of the problems facing them. A trip to Robben Island reminded me of how comparatively young this democracy is and made me feel that real progress has been achieved. Cape Town was a great place to visit and everybody was really friendly. And yet it was dangerous to walk far because of the fear of crime. But if you were thinking of going there, don’t let that put you off. I’d let the Rugby World Cup outcome be your guide on timing.

Many thanks to Senethi, the SAHF Advisory Panel Chair, Fungai, Gunther (I haven’t started the book yet!), Alex and everyone else I met and who gave me such a warm welcome. Special thanks to John and Sonje Hopkins, to Stacey and Naomi from the SAHF – your friendship and hospitality will always be remembered.

Out of Africa Part Two

2007-10-16T14:48:00.000+01:00

For the past few days I’ve been participating in the International Housing Conference and Exhibition in Cape Town organised by the Southern African Housing Foundation (SAHF). Its theme has been ‘Housing Delivery and Building Technologies’.

The event was opened by the Executive Mayor of Cape Town, Helen Zille. She was passionate enough to dispense with the script that had been prepared for her for the most part. She described the critical shortage of housing as one of Cape Town’s biggest challenges. The backlog of housing in the ‘mother city’ has reached 460,000, increasing at the rate of 15,000 a year. There are now around 220 ‘unserviced settlements’ and last winter the weather was so bad that many became swamps. The Mayor described the conditions as "horrific".

In addition to these settlements there are on average 3 or 4 backyard shacks for every household. The Mayor felt strongly that it was now time to deliver on the ground and gave examples of the way the layers of bureaucracy in SA conspire to prevent things happening quickly. She was clearly unhappy with the way government was functioning.

It was disappointing that neither the Western Cape Premier, Ebrahim Rasool, nor the National Minister of Housing, Dr Liniwe Sisulu, were able to attend as planned. Deputising for the Premier was the Western Cape’s Minister for Local Govt and Housing, Qubidile Richard Dyanti. Clearly a popular character with the audience, he called for better partnership working and more creative solutions. He acknowledged the need to build more houses but stressed that the way to wipe out the backlog requires a new way of thinking – an attitude that puts people first and gives them dignity.

He described ‘three mind shifts’ that were shaping the way forward:
The shift from housing construction to ‘sustainable human settlements’
The shift to sustainable resource use
The shift to real empowerment of people.

I quickly learned that nothing is quite as straightforward as it looks in SA. Minister Dyanti described a situation where some people, having received a grant to access a proper home, sell it and move back into a shack – then join demonstrations to press for more housing!

I was part of a panel of speakers on the opening morning addressing ‘housing delivery’ – you can access my address through this site. There was good media interest in the event. For example, I was interviewed on SABC TV, the main South African station, whilst the Cape Times picked up on a strong appeal from planner Simon Nicks to "learn from history and do things differently".

The discussion sessions that followed each panel of speakers gave an interesting indication of delegates’ interests and concerns, although the first question of the conference – aimed at my panel – threw everybody. The octogenarian Mrs Stutt, a stalwart of the SA housing scene, demanded to know when ‘enforced sterilisation’ would be seriously considered to help improve housing conditions. The panel successfully avoided answering…

If there was an issue scarier than the problem of people living in human settlements, it has to be the scale of the HIV / Aids pandemic. Cameron Brisbourne, an Executive Director of the Built Environment Support Group, painted a grim picture of life in the townships – "Saturday is for funerals and Sunday is for going to church to pray for those left behind". In Kwazululand he estimated that one in three adults have HIV / Aids. As he went further the figures and forecasts just became more and more startling. It makes a mockery of the position of the President and his Health Minister, as their views appear to have become increasingly isolated over this issue.

In Part Three of my report from SA I’ll be looking at the SAHF Housing Awards event and the final day of the conference, which included a ‘technical’ tour of the Cape region.

Out of Africa

2007-10-09T14:44:00.000+01:00

Greetings from Cape Town. I’m here at the invitation of the South African Housing Foundation and I’ll be speaking at their annual conference.

Arriving late in the evening meant it was difficult to get my bearings but my taxi driver quickly helped me to acclimatise. He wanted to talk football and I asked him how his country’s preparations for the 2010 World Cup are coming along.

He was passionate about this! He strongly believed that South Africa should not be hosting the tournament. He said “How can we spend so much money that we don’t have on stadiums that will not be needed once the World Cup is over? At a time when so many of my countrymen are still living in shacks or have no home at all, it is wrong. We need jobs and houses, not football stadiums.”

It’s a view that’s acknowledged by a number of the conference delegates that I met on a tour of the Cape on Sunday. It’s a view that might also echo with opponents of London’s hosting of the 2012 Olympic Games, although in the case of South Africa the disparity is magnified many times when you see the conditions that some have to endure.

Sunday’s tour took in the whole of the area from Cape Town to Cape Point and the Cape of Good Hope. A magnificent area with so many highlights and contrasts. From apartments outside Cape Town overlooking the Atlantic priced at around £220K to townships comprising shacks such as the one at Hout Bay. This latter development is the subject of an annual investment from an Irish multi-millionaire whose construction workers spend a month every year building 30 houses for people from the township on a ‘homes for humanity’ principle – an initiative apparently not without its critics.

We went through Llandudno – seemingly the top location for surfers. Sadly the weather was probably about the same as its North Wales counterpart. We also saw Pollsmoor Prison, where Nelson Mandela was transferred from Robben Island and where he stayed for seven of his 27 years behind bars.

The day concluded on an important note – on behalf of CIH I signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the South African Housing Foundation committing each other to work together to achieve a range of goals, including the exchange of information, regular liaison and exchange programmes, the promotion of housing and good practice and the provision of professional advice.

I was set to speak on the opening morning of the conference. If you’re interested in what I had to say, you can access my paper, The Challenges Facing Housing Professionals by clicking here.

I’ll be bringing you some further views on the conference and housing in South Africa later in the week.

Great Expectations

2007-09-19T10:43:00.000+01:00

By now everyone is aware of the Housing Green Paper and its promise of a significant increase in housing supply. Many of you will no doubt be contributing to responses to the proposals, due in by 16 October. Most people will probably be focusing on the detail of the supply aspects:
Can the numbers be delivered within the additional resources?
Will the changes to the planning system really make the radical difference that is required?
What are we going to do about the existing stock when it comes to carbon-free housing?
Can we recycle enough land to minimise development on green belt sites?

There are a variety of beneficiaries of the changes that are proposed – housing associations, developers, local authorities and many others working in the housing and regeneration field. The Government themselves could be a major beneficiary if the approach is successful, with housing now a high profile area in the run-up to the next election.

But what about the people in need of housing – people on waiting lists, homeless households, first time buyers – what are they looking for? Obviously they all want a home, but is this also an opportunity to put in place the sort of services they need? After all, finding a home and paying for it is a seriously complex process these days. Can we make it easier? Can we improve the services available to help people make the right choices? With talk of so many shared ownership and equity loan products, there could be a risk of it all becoming a bit complicated for purchasers.

This is where I feel we need to be drawing on some of the issues that came out of John Hills’ review. There is a need for services that give advice and provide an effective ‘signpost’ to help direct people to what they need. A service that cuts through all the complexities and answers the ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’ that get in the way.

I also think there’s a strong case for taking the opportunity to improve the design of the homes and places that will be built out of this Green Paper. We need to follow the lead of people like Wayne Hemingway before we embark on filling our places up with more mediocre housing – people deserve better. A revitalised emphasis on quality of design should also allow us to look at the user’s changing needs over the lifetime of the property. Society is ageing and we shouldn’t have to think about moving home just because we’re getting older and our needs are changing. In Wales we haven’t been able to build a home that is not to Lifetime Homes standards for many years now – I can’t believe that for the rest of the UK it’s still an optional extra.

Sustainability is another area where we can make real advances in the services we offer. Zero carbon homes are clearly much easier to achieve when you’re starting on the drawing board, but the existing stock is not so easy. Landlords of all shapes and sizes and from all sectors would benefit from useful, practical information about what they can and need to do. Residents too must have access to information and assistance if we are seriously going to meet targets.

You must have some thoughts yourself on how we can use the Green Paper to change the delivery of housing beyond matters of supply and location. Why not share them here? On 20/21 September CIH Cymru are holding their annual Tai 2 event, The Xcellence Factor – it’s an opportunity to focus on customers by learning from the best. I’ll be leading a workshop at the event, along with North Wales HA chair Helen White, which will be looking at the opportunities we have arising from the Green Paper. Although it is an English Paper, the issues it seeks to address are really no different in Wales.

I hope to update this blog entry after the event to share anything worthwhile that we discuss. In the meantime I’d like to hear your ideas.

Appealing

2007-08-22T14:05:00.000+01:00

At last I’ve returned to the ‘blogosphere’, as Closed Circuit calls it. Thank you to my friends at Inside Housing, firstly for noticing that my blogging had dried up. And secondly because they were actually right on both fronts – yes, I’ve been on holiday and yes, I’ve been really busy. Although being President is demanding in itself, I’ve still got the day job to keep me grounded.

Something else to keep me grounded is the plight of others around the world. I recently read a book review by our own John Perry in our E-zine for international members called Housing World, about the trend for urbanisation around the globe. It’s called Planet of Slums by Mike Davis. There are some scary figures and it’s an alarming vision. The book comes out ironically at a time when we’re debating the Green Paper proposals and some are worried over where the new homes will go. It also made me feel that it’s about time I told you about my Presidential Appeal.

I wanted to support something that would benefit children, improve their quality of life and do so in a way that is socially, financially and environmentally sustainable. With the help of Homeless International I’ve chosen to support a project that will contribute hugely to providing housing and supporting communities in Zambia. Indeed, the slum-dwellers in Zambia that will benefit typify the rapidly growing problems associated with urbanisation in under-developed countries. If you’d like to find out more, go to President’s Appeal 2007-08.

I’m determined to raise as much as I can during the year. Naturally, I’d like your help. If you can help with fund-raising through your own organisation, or if you have any good ideas for me to raise money, I’d love to hear from you. I’m hoping to use the blog as a way of keeping you informed of progress – not just about any funds raised but with progress in Zambia too. Thanks for sparing the time to read this – I’d love to hear your ideas.

‘Holding Back The Blears’? Not Likely

2007-07-16T13:49:00.000+01:00

There’s a new driving force at the CLG. On Tuesday 10 July I attended a reception at Eland House given by Hazel Blears, the Salford MP and new Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.

It was a well attended event, and I suppose I met many of the people who I’d expected to be there. But it was also good to meet other CLG stakeholders and partners along with a good turn-out of key staff.

Ms Blears described herself as a “hands-on minister”. In other words, according to a few people I spoke to in the room, the type of minister who likes to get involved and sort things out. As she waited politely for Peter Housden, the Permanent Secretary, to finish his generous introduction in which he referred to the positive impression made in her first days in office, there was little sign.

But as soon as the stage was hers, wisely declining to stand on a box behind a lectern, there was genuine warmth and no little determination about her address. Clearly she intends to grasp her role in Gordon Brown’s reinvention of government. Her track record of support for community empowerment and her adoption of housing as a central theme of her campaign for the deputy leadership bode well for the sector.

We’ve already offered our help. And she’s got Yvette Cooper in her team to provide stability and continuity. Overall, the reception had a good positive feel about it.

Anyway, I’m sure CIH will meet Ms Blears again over the coming months. But if you had half an hour with Hazel Blears, what are the top three things you’d want her to do? Give it some thought and let me know. It might help us shape our advice to her. Or she might just read it for herself.

Nobbled By the Nibbles

2007-07-16T13:47:00.000+01:00

With so much politicking on housing, by all parties, I am bracing myself for a busy year as CIH President. Just last week I attended a reception given by new Secretary of State, Hazel Blears. She made a good impression and you can find out more of my thoughts in ‘Holding Back the Blears’? Not Likely’.

But on a slighter lighter tone - for those of you who like to know about these things - it has to be said that the nibbles were of a pretty good quality. Of course, nibbling AND talking AS WELL AS shaking hands IN ADDITION TO exchanging business cards are perhaps a bit of a fine art. There were two moments to learn from. Firstly, as I confessed to a colleague from the Energy Saving Trust of my relief at discovering the grapes to be seedless, I choked on the skin – not clever, but as I couldn’t speak for five minutes (a first) she was doubtless grateful for the intervention. Secondly, I was unable to resist a crafty mini-éclair on the way out and the filling evacuated its case in various directions – how it missed my suit I’ve no idea. But I don’t think anyone noticed.

Anyway, this is a blog and blogs are known for being big on lists. So how about some lists? If you’re reading this after a long hard day at work, what about cheering yourself up by recalling your top three embarrassing reception moments?

I'm a Celebrity - What Am I Doing Here?

2007-07-05T10:34:00.000+01:00

So that’s Harrogate been and gone for another year. It’s always an event that calls for high levels of stamina so, facing a hectic agenda that included morphing from Vice President to President in the middle of an Annual General Meeting; I thought I’d better devise an appropriate training regime.

It involved marching at pace through crowded shopping centres with a conference bag full of advertising literature and essential conference papers over one shoulder. Trying to remember countless numbers of speeches for an endless but rewarding series of conference sessions, receptions, dinners and networking opportunities. Carrying bottles of water in my bag, eating on the hoof and carrying a virtual cup and saucer in my left hand - leaving my right free to shake hands or take and/or dispense business cards. It should have worked a treat.

But what about the event itself? Well, by common consent it was a good one. Now that I’ve recovered from the inevitable backlog of work that going away for a few days brings these days I thought I’d focus on the ‘celebrity’ contribution – you know, speakers who’ve been on the box a few times. I always find it interesting to listen to someone from outside the housing world talking about our business and sometimes their views can provide a refreshing insight.

Monday: First up was comedian Tony Hawks as after dinner speaker at the pre-conference bash, attended by a record number of over 450 people. Over dinner Tony explained how he’d almost missed his flight from Ciampini, the smaller of Rome’s airports. Having attended a friend’s wedding over the weekend, he was waiting for transport that never showed. So, half an hour from the flight time and three kilometres from the airport Tony set off running with his case and made it! That showed real commitment. But he wouldn’t use the story in his act that night as no-one would believe him. And he didn’t need to…I thought he was very funny.

Tuesday was my big day and I don’t know what worried me most, delivering the Opening Address or introducing and chairing Professor Germaine Greer. You can read my Presidential Speech here and you can find out more about one of its more controversial elements in a previous Blog – To let or Not To Let?

After a few minutes finding her aim and direction Prof Greer was away, hitting a range of targets, often with unerring accuracy. It was the challenging and provocative start we had hoped for, dropping a healthy dose of realism all over our ‘big picture’ scenery.

Prof Greer shared her thoughts on design and the planning system. She talked of the perils of home ownership and the nightmare of DIY programmes on TV, striking a chord with many in the audience – a large audience too. She challenged the concepts of consultation and community and finally coined a new catch-phrase, though whether “B****r the housing ladder!” will ever take off will be interesting to see.

Transport difficulties and the need to keep to schedule meant that it was impossible for me to ask Ruth Kelly how she would react to such an approach, which was probably just as well. It shows how quickly things change as I find myself blogging away only two weeks later and the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government has moved on to Transport in the new Brown administration. For what it’s worth, I thought she did very well at Harrogate. It was her second appearance at the conference and she not only came announcing news, she was also prepared to subject herself to interview on stage by Chris Lowe of BBC News 24, who performed with his usual high level of professionalism and insight. It was a good session and concluded a fine first day.

[I know we wouldn’t normally refer to politicians as celebs, but these days anyone who’s had their fifteen minutes of fame seems to count. OK?]

Thursday: On the final afternoon some delegates went to the movies to see Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth. After being at Harrogate all week I thought the plenary on Staying Focused was what I needed. We had a good presentation from Chris Langstaff of Nottingham City Homes on how he and his colleagues are turning things round. Indeed, he must have felt under a bit of pressure, following the inspirational Debra Searle.

Debra, you may remember, successfully rowed solo across the Atlantic when her husband, an experienced oarsman, left the boat after developing an uncontrollable fear of the ocean. Staying focused, she rowed on for three months to become the youngest and only the third woman to have rowed an ocean solo. It was an experience she described very clearly to us and one that converted her to God – “There’s no such thing as an atheist in a force gale in the Atlantic”. Her book, “The Journey”, tells you how to achieve against the odds and is full of helpful advice on shifting your comfort zones, knowing your sharks (always handy) and mind tricks for success. Go on, buy it and share it with your team.

Closing the conference was a panel session featuring Hugh Ellis of Friends of the Earth, Stevie Spring, Chairman of Groundwork UK and Dick Strawbridge, star of “It’s Not Easy Being Green”, “Scrapheap Challenge” and “Crafty Tricks of War” – versatile or what? They were chaired by Mark Easton, BBC News Home Editor. It seemed an appropriate way to close – having opened with some big picture issues, climate change as a final subject left people with something really important to think about but with optimism borne of a lively, positive debate about what we can all do to improve our futures.

So what did these people bring to the party? There’s no doubt that the two BBC presenters brought real know-how, experience and confidence to sessions that involve debate and challenge in a way that delegates enjoy. The speakers brought firstly a sense of fascination and intrigue: would we see the academic Germaine Greer or the Celebrity Big Brother version…or a combination of both; how would we have reacted in Debra Searle’s position and how do we acquire that attitude and desire; and would Dick Strawbridge be the real deal when it comes to sustainable living. In my opinion, each of them worked really well and gave us good value.

Who would you like to see from outside the housing world speaking at a housing event? Who’s the best non-housing speaker you’ve heard at a housing event? This could be interesting…make them humorous if you like. Why stop at one…go for an entire line-up. At the risk of sounding like Delia Smith, let’s be having you!

To Let Or Not To Let?

2007-07-05T09:20:00.000+01:00

To Let or Not To let? That is the question posed in my opening address at the CIH's UK Annual Conference and Exhibition in Harrogate on 19 June 2007. I drew attention to our belief that the phenomenal growth in buy-to-let investments is contributing to the affordable housing crisis by pricing first-time buyers out of the market. Around 11% of all new lending in 2006 was in the buy-to-let market – an increase of 57% compared to 2005.

Our appeal to the new Chancellor to remove this tax relief really seemed to stir up a few people. The Council of Mortgage Lenders, for example, disagreed with our proposal and has been in touch to arrange a meeting, which we welcome.

Several anonymous visitors to this blog have also made their feelings known, presumably landlords – although they don’t agree, it’s still good to receive comments and views from different sources and we’re looking to see if there are issues that we need to take on board. Thanks for your contribution, there are some important points made and I’m discussing those with colleagues at CIH.

The fact is that there is an awful lot of empty accommodation, particularly in our major cities. When there are young people who don’t receive the same help and who can’t get on the housing ladder, not to mention all those who find themselves homeless, how can that be right? We don’t have any axe to grind with those landlords who are using their mortgage as intended – providing decent homes. But what are we going to do about those that don’t? Look at the impact of the problem:

Property prices forced up

First time buyers kept out of the market

Older stock left in poor condition (the cost of improvements cannot be offset against the tax payable on rental income, as running costs can)

Empty homes works directly against sustainable communities.

Let’s see some recognition of the problem by Government undertaking a proper investigation of the scale of the issue. Then we need to look at which direction to take. Are there any fiscal incentives that could encourage letting? Or do we need to look at fiscal disincentives to not letting? Have local authorities got a role to play by using Empty Dwelling Management Orders?

If you’ve got a view or a proposal to help tackle the issue, I’d like to hear from you. Some might think it’s much ado about nothing, but at CIH we don’t think empty homes are acceptable.

2007-06-06T11:18:00.000+01:00

Welcome to my blog! Over the next twelve months I’ll be chronicling my year as CIH President. Along the way I’ll not only be talking about what I’m up to, but I’ll be aiming to flag up areas for discussion and maybe posing a few questions here and there.

Of course, what helps make a blog site interesting are the comments and responses from others. The two-way nature of it makes for an interesting way of finding out what people’s views are on a particular subject. Maybe even an amusing and entertaining way from time to time. So don’t be shy, take part – after all, it is National Housing Week.

To kick off with, it’s not long until the CIH Conference at Harrogate, which starts on 19 June for three days packed with a fantastic range of speakers and contributors, not to mention the networking opportunities. (Did you know that the difference between networking and gossiping is that you can claim expenses for networking?)

One of our keynote speakers for the opening day is Ruth Kelly, Communities Secretary. Along with CIH Deputy Chief Executive Sarah Webb, I met Ruth Kelly last Friday to talk about ‘Housing Reform’, as well as her forthcoming appearance at Harrogate. It was a very encouraging meeting for us and amongst the issues we discussed were the local authority’s strategic role and how we could take forward some of the ideas that emerged from the John Hills review around tenure and choice.

We were able to put across our view that the effectiveness of the local authority strategic role is fundamental to success right across the sustainable communities agenda. The publication of our ‘Visionary Leadership’ report 18 months ago proved to be something of a catalyst and although there has been some progress, some big questions still need answering:

Do local authorities still have the capacity or skills to do housing strategy?

Are housing associations too big and too geographically spread out to take any notice of local authorities?

Has the regional agenda overtaken the need for a local housing strategy anyway?

We think that CLG needs to produce new guidance on what it expects. It would also be helpful to have support for local authorities to help them build their capacity. As someone who’s spent most of his career in local government, I think that’s vital. But if councils are good at strategy, how can this be recognised by the regulatory framework? What incentives are there for authorities to direct local resources effectively? We still need to improve the links between housing and planning. I’d like to see a ‘toolkit’ developed so that it’s clear what needs to be done and why. If you’re responsible for local authority housing strategy, how does it work for you and what would you benefit from?

The John Hills review talked about the need to provide a more varied menu for people in the future. Since the publication of the report CIH has facilitated a number of discussions on different aspects of the report, including one in London recently, which I chaired and in which John Hills was involved, specifically on this theme of a varied menu. The idea is that we may want to provide a wider menu of tenure choices along a continuum from full renting to full owning. There could be sufficient flexibility to allow you to move along this continuum in different directions according to your circumstances. Government is keen to see that more people can have a stake in their home. We’re keen to help them develop their approach – although we recognise that not everyone is going to be able to be a home owner and these people will still need support.

Can other ideas and initiatives be developed or extended to help people have a stake or share in their home? Schemes like HomeSave, equity stakes, savings gateway, Gold Service…could they underpin a new approach? How would people release their equity…are we talking ‘savings scheme’ or ‘nectar card’? Whilst we’re at it, why not add in the idea of a national equity release scheme to support vulnerable owners in ‘non-decent’ homes?

We’re also interested in looking at service menus. As landlords we all hold a lot of information about our customers, but how effective are we at using it? By using this information constructively, or ‘customer profiling’, we could find ways in which landlords can offer different services for different rent levels. We need further evidence on what makes people save or invest in schemes. Whose asset is it anyway? I think there’s real scope for progress here, but we must remember that new solutions need to be kept as simple as possible. Complex choices mean complex decisions for customers, so the quality and accessibility of advice becomes critical. It will also be essential that we create manageable steps for people to progress. Let’s not forget some of the other key messages from John Hills - achieving social mobility and getting people into work. Let’s not forget either that the primary aims of change should be to reduce poverty and improve life chances.

Finally, it’s a year on since Ruth Kelly promised us that it was going to be a golden era for housing. Whilst we’ll all have our views on how that forecast has shaped up, you can hear Ruth deliver her own verdict very soon at Harrogate. Whenever we ask members of the CIH what we should be doing, influencing policy is always high up the wish list. It occurs to me that perhaps many members don’t realise just how much of this we do. So I hope to use this blog to let you know how we’re going about it and it’s why I thought a meeting with the Communities Secretary was a good place to start. She did tell me that she’s really looking forward to addressing the conference on the 19th.

Am I looking forward to it? You bet. It’s not every day you get to introduce Germaine Greer and Ruth Kelly…and then there’s the small matter of the AGM to follow, when hopefully I get to drop the ‘acting’ capacity and become President for real. In the meantime, I look forward to reading your thoughts on some of the questions and issues raised here. If you’re on your way to Harrogate, please say hello!

Paul Diggory
Vice President, CIH