Angela Rayner and Matthew Pennycook have set out some clear priorities on building safety and new build but much of the detail and funding is still to come.

We are waiting for:

• Awaab’s Law to come into force
• Consultation on a new decent homes standard
• The new competence and conduct standard
• Access to information.

It feels as if they are just finishing off what the previous government started.

So, what will be new:

• Will we see a new set of priorities and funding in the Spending Review?
• What does the housing sector need from Government?
• What priorities do tenants and residents want Government to focus on?
• What is of most concern and/or importance to you?

This event will review the first six months of the new government and look forwards to what we might expect in 2025.  And what we should be doing right now – to prepare.

If you are responsible for strategy, policy, business planning, leadership and direction in your organisation – this will kick start your year.

Come and hear from MHCLG, sector experts, residents and practitioners. Consider and debate the key issues. Take part in the panel debate. Start the year energised with ideas.

Essential for:

• Housing association chief executives
• Council housing directors
• ALMO CEOs, MDs
• Executive directors of service
• Strategic directors and teams
• Policy and strategy teams
• Heads of service.

10:30am Welcome and Introductions

• Chloe Fletcher, Director, HQN

10:40am The new government’s social housing priorities for 2025

• Will Longhill, Head of Social Housing Redress and Energy Efficiency, MHCLG

With the new government now six months old, and Ministers reviewing policies, regulation and legislation initiated by the previous government, Will Longhill will update delegates on their thinking so far.  He will outline the department’s plans for 2025, their priorities and what to look out for in the Spending Review which will conclude in March.

11:10am Can Labour build a fairer future? What we need on social housing and welfare reform

• Hannah Fearn, Independent journalist

Hannah will look at the statements and actions of the Labour Government so far in relation to social housing and welfare reform and provide her thoughts on what to expect in the coming year.  She will explore what she thinks society needs from this new Labour government and give her judgement as to whether we will get it.

11:45am Break

12:00pm Tackling Non-Decent Homes – recommendations for government and the social housing sector

• Ben Cooper, Fabian Society

The Fabian Society, with support from the Northern Housing Consortium, Guinness, Independent Age and Home Group are undertaking a project on non-decent homes to develop practical solutions to improving housing quality in the social and private rented sectors.  Ben Cooper will share the findings of the project and discuss what both government and social landlords should be doing in 2025 to ensure we provide good quality decent homes for our tenants now and in the future.

12:30pm The sector’s priorities for 2025 – an interview with

• Tracey Downie, Chief Executive, Women’s Pioneer Housing and Chair, Ekaya Housing Association

1:00pm Lunch

2:00pm A resident’s perspective – a fireside chat

• Chloe Fletcher, Director, HQN

• Rob Gershon, Social Housing Tenant and Activist

Chloe Fletcher will chat with Rob Gershon, a social housing tenant and activist about his thoughts so far on whether the new consumer regulation is delivering for tenants.  They will look at whether the Housing Ombudsman is making a difference to tenant’s experiences on the ground and what Rob thinks the government should be doing in 2025 to drive improvements in the sector.

2:30pm New build targets – can we meet them?

• Tim Brown, Associate, HQN

With a plethora of planning announcements made in December and Ministers’ ambitions for building 1.5m new homes by 2029, Tim Brown will explore how realistic a target that is and what the sector will need to help them achieve it.  He will look at the challenges facing all developers including social housing landlords and discuss what opportunities the planning changes may bring as well as what the social housing sector needs from the Spending Review to be able to contribute properly to meeting the housing needs of the country.

3:00pm Horizon scanning – what else does 2025 have in store for us?

• Alistair McIntosh, CEO, HQN

Alistair will reflect on the wider social and economic issues facing the country as well as the particular challenges that the social housing sector will have in 2025.  He will scan the horizon for potential opportunities as well as risks to mitigate and offer his advice on what to prepare for as we head towards the second fiscal event of this new government.

3:25pm Chair’s summary

• Chloe Fletcher, Director, HQN

3:30pm Close

Chloe Fletcher, Director, HQN

Chloe has worked in the social housing sector for over 25 years since her first role in housing management with JSS Pinnacle as a trainee housing officer. She completed a Masters in Housing with Professional Qualification at the London School of Economics and then moved into housing policy, working on behalf of the London boroughs, initially for London Housing Unit and then London Councils. She joined the National Federation of ALMOs (NFA) in 2007 working with members, government officials and wider housing stakeholders to develop NFA policy and support the ALMO movement. She brings her wide range of housing management and policy knowledge to HQN as Director, working across the business and bringing her skills and experience to the whole social housing sector.

Alistair McIntosh, CEO, HQN

Alistair McIntosh is one of the social housing sector’s most respected and best known personalities.

As founder and Chief Executive of HQN, he is regarded as one of the foremost advisers on governance and regulation, specialising in VfM and stress testing. His hands-on approach sees Alistair leading on all HQN’s in-depth assessment mock exercises and support work, designing and running the popular Iron Grip sessions and chairing/speaking at conferences and events.

Career highlights include setting up and running the National Federation of ALMOs, leading the popular consultation on the regulatory standards for housing, and developing an approach to VfM that won praise from the housing minister.

A regular contributor to the housing press, Alistair’s columns are known for their humorous, pointed and painfully accurate assessment of the state of social housing.

Ben Cooper, The Fabian Society

Ben joined the Fabian Society in 2018. Since joining the Fabians, Ben has led research on older, rural and coastal voters, and early years, education, housing and culture funding. In 2022, he was selected by MHP Group as one of the ’30 to Watch: Politics’ awards for under-30s.

Ben is also a trustee for a charity supporting people with complex disabilities and is chair of the Co-op Party’s (dis)Ability Network. He previously worked for a Labour MP.

Hannah Fearn, Journalist

Hannah Fearn is a reporter, writer and columnist covering politics, social affairs and a wide range of other issues. She is the former comment editor of the Independent, and previously worked for The Guardian, Times Higher Education and Inside Housing.

Tim Brown, Associate, HQN

Tim has extensive knowledge of social housing allocations. He played a major role in the 1990s in the development of what is now referred to as choice-based lettings. Subsequently he has been involved in the review and evaluation of over 30 allocations schemes in the UK. He has also contributed to government research as well as co-producing good practice guides for the Chartered Institute of Housing and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. A number of governments in Western Europe have commissioned Tim to review allocations eg France, the Republic of Ireland and Sweden.

He currently produces HQN’s allocations toolkit which is updated monthly.

Rob Gershon, Social Housing Tenant and Activist

Rob is a social housing tenant and activist. Rob is a full-time carer. Following the Welfare Reform Act of 2012, wherein policy dictated Rob and his wife had a spare room for which they would be financially penalised, Rob began blogging about the reforms – then broader housing issues and policy.

Since then, Rob has been involved in the Social Housing Under Threat (SHOUT) campaign for social housing, has previously worked as the lead associate for HQN’s Residents’ Network, and was active with the group of tenants trying to design a ‘voice for tenants’ alongside the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, before ministerial inactivity and resistance brought an end to the endeavour.

Rob was one of the sixteen commissioners on Shelter’s “Vision For Social Housing” commission, a round look at what needs to change in the provision and regulation of social housing after the Grenfell Tower Fire. This led to further quiet work assisting Grenfell United and Shelter the housing ministry advice to try and drive reform through the social housing regulation bill.

Rob is also part of the advisory group working with Joseph Rowntree Foundation’s project alongside the Nationwide Foundation and the Frameworks Institute to look at ways of redefining how people talk about housing and social housing, in an attempt to inform public debate and drive policy change in an area which has arguably not produced the number of social rented homes the country needs.

Tracey Downie, Chief Executive, Women’s Pioneer Housing and Chair, Ekaya Housing Association

Tracey has worked in the social housing sector for over 30 years, primarily in London-based housing associations and with a significant commitment to housing services, resident engagement and challenging inequality. Over the last 15 years Tracey has held senior, executive and non-executive roles and is currently Chief Executive of Women’s Pioneer Housing and Chair of Ekaya Housing Association.

Throughout her years in housing, Tracey has been an advocate for inclusivity and diversity. This has included championing the need for better services for single women seeking affordable, safe housing as well as supporting and mentoring BME and young housing professionals.

Will Longhill, Head of Social Housing Redress and Energy Efficiency, MHCLG

Will leads work on quality standards in social housing in the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. This is includes the review of the Decent Homes Standard and the introduction of minimum energy efficiency standards.

If you are unable to attend an event or public training course, please let us know in writing via email or letter at least 48 hours beforehand. Please email [email protected]

Otherwise, a cancellation fee of £60 plus VAT will be chargeable.

If you are using a package place to attend and do not inform us within the agreed time frame, then a place will be taken to cover your non-attendance.

Cancellations must be made in writing, and will be acknowledged by HQN Limited.