Planit’s Post

Central to Common’s ethos is the use of development as a tool for good. In the midst of climate and housing crises, our default should be using the land we have to create housing for people most in need – as we have done with Zodiac.   We’re so pleased to announce today a deal agreed with Croydon Council which will see Zodiac’s 73 new homes, provided via the sensitive conversion of a long empty office building, used for emergency accommodation. The apartments will be available for Croydon families facing homelessness: part of the council’s long-term strategy to reduce its reliance on private sector rental.   Local authorities are spending £1.5 billion a year on temporary accommodation. At the same time, thousands of commercial buildings across the country are sliding into obsolescence. Using residential development experience, and the policy levers at our disposal for good, it’s possible that many more underutilised office buildings can be repurposed in this way, saving public money, and delivering homes within planetary boundaries.    We hope that this project can provide an example of how we can work within current parameters to deliver high-quality repurposing of redundant commercial space.    The Zodiac development will be fully-complete this spring, including a public garden and pavilion co-designed with the community.    Read more about this innovative transaction here: https://lnkd.in/epid5v-9   If you’re working for or with a council housing department and would like to visit the site and/or hear about the journey, we’d be more than happy to chat.   Croydonist South London Press Newspapers Commonweal Housing Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA) NLA Future of London Local Government Association Inside Housing Wandsworth Council London Borough of Lambeth Southwark Council Merton London Borough Council Shared Health Foundation Apsana Begum Bell Ribeiro-Addy Homes England Mark Allen Peter Leonard Nigel Barclay Bes Lika Mitheridge Capital Management shedkm Whitby Wood Gardiner & Theobald LLP Skelly & Couch Atelier Red ltd. Addleshaw Goddard Archor AshtonHale Planit

With support from Homes England development funding Common Projects has agreed a deal with Croydon Council which will see 73 new flats to be allocated to families with emergency accommodation needs, from as soon as February 2025. Nigel Barclay Loans Director at Homes England, said: “This is a significant moment for the project and an excellent example of how we are supporting the small and medium house builders that are crucial to building a diverse and resilient housing sector.” Find out how we're supporting SME development ambitions: https://lnkd.in/evPwGDR8  #HomesEngland #SMEDevelopers  

We keep talking about it....but some people just get on and do it! This is an incredible example of perseverance, of setting out to do something better than the usual and making it happen through a series of 'right choices' and creative thinking. The most common length of time for families to be in temporary accommodation in the UK is more than two years. There's lots of talk about temporary solutions - but providing beautiful apartments for this need *in perpetuity* should surely be our aim. We know we have office buildings in every town that are no longer ‘in the right place’ and/or have been left to moulder over the years. They're often already boarded up with property guardian stickers on them. We think - ah, that will soon be another expensive apartment block for the lucky few. Zodiac gives us the 'how-to' of doing something different with a distressed building - putting it to use for those most in need, in a high-quality and carbon-happy way. Now we need to scale it! Common would love to hear from councils/ other owners who want some advice on repurposing difficult assets, and from impact funders looking for a partner. We'll be sharing more detail on the regeneration when the garden is complete, this spring. Shelter Seb Klier LDN Collective Croydon Council #DontWasteBuildings Capital Letters Action on Empty Homes Guy Parker Julia Thrift Miranda MacLaren Polina Pencheva

#News: We've launched a consultation on Liverpool's housing plans to 2030. The city's draft housing draft strategy, which highlights that 20 per cent (44,000) of properties in the city do not meet the “decent homes” definition, will be underpinned by four key themes designed to improve people’s health and support the Council’s net-zero ambitions: 1. Delivering quality homes that support needs and aspirations Key aim: enabling partners to build at least 8,000 new homes by 2027 and 20 per cent affordable housing. 2. Improving homes and neighbourhoods Key aim: improve quality of rented homes and bring empty homes back into use. 3. Promoting healthier lives and sustainable homes Key aim: retrofit homes, prioritising those on low incomes in the worst-rated properties. 4. Enabling access to a suitable home Key aim: tackle homelessness and rough sleeping by providing more housing for vulnerable groups and those with support needs. This will be underpinned by a new homelessness strategy which is currently being devised. In line with the aims of the new Government, the Council has also set out a commitment to develop brownfield sites and is currently working on schemes including: Festival Gardens, Liverpool Waters, King’s Dock and Paddington Village. Once implemented the strategy will help shape a £1-billion-plus building programme. Liverpool City Council's draft housing strategy consultation runs until Friday, 6 September and features an online survey, which is available at: https://lnkd.in/gzPAXhT6 People can also email their views to: housing.strategy@liverpool.gov.uk There will also be 3 community feedback days where residents can talk about the strategy & get assistance on the survey: * Central Library: 9am-6pm, Wed, 7 Aug * Spellow Library: 10am-6pm, Mon, 12 Aug * Garston Library: 9am-4.30pm, Tues, 13 Aug Please note, the draft strategy will be available in different languages, on request. #HaveYourSay #TheNextChapter Nicola Butterworth I Nuala Gallagher I Louise Harford MCIEH I Sophie Bevan I Samantha Campbell I Matthew Ashton I Ian Williams I Melisa Campbell I Camilla Mankabady I Jacqui McKinlay I Anne Marie Lubanski I Jenny Turnross I Claire McColgan CBE

#News: Liverpool City Council has set out a vision to improve the city’s #housing offer by 2030 with a commitment to support 2,000 new homes a year, reduce the number of empty properties and tackle homelessness. The city, which is forecasted to grow by 40,000 households in the next 20 years, saw 10,700 new homes built in the past 5 years but just 11% were classed as affordable. The Council wants to double that #affordablehomes figure and help address the fact more than 52% of people in #Liverpool live in either private rented or social rented homes. A report to the Council’s Cabinet on Tuesday, 4 June is seeking approval to launch an 8-week consultation asking residents for their views on a draft housing strategy, which once implemented will shape a £1bn+ housing programme. The draft strategy, which highlights that 20% (44,000) of properties in the city do not meet the “decent homes” definition, will be underpinned by 4 key themes designed to improve people’s health and support the Council’s net-zero ambitions. Housing is recognised as one of the key factors affecting people’s health and wellbeing and the Council has set out to address the issue in both its Council Plan, which was agreed in 2023, and the recent State of Health in the City: Liverpool 2040 Report. Another key focus is to set out a major retrofitting programme to improve insulation and heating sustainability standards as new data shows 18% of households are living in #fuelpoverty. The programme would also reduce the carbon footprint of the city’s housing stock, which accounts for 33% of the city’s carbon emissions. The Cabinet report comes just a week after the Council announced it was to carry out a review of empty homes in the city to support a drive to tackle a shortfall in housing, by writing to landlords of more than 8,000 empty properties. The 4 key themes are: 1. Delivering quality homes that support needs & aspirations Key aim: Enabling partners to build at least 8,000 new homes by 2027 & 20% affordable housing. 2. Improving homes & neighbourhoods Key aim: Improve quality of rented homes & bring empty homes back into use. 3. Promoting healthier lives & sustainable homes Key aim: Retrofit homes, prioritising the worst-rated properties. 4. Enabling access to a suitable home Key aim: Tackle #homelessness and rough sleeping by provide more housing for vulnerable groups and those with support needs. This will be underpinned by a new homelessness strategy which is currently being devised. Following public consultation, the Council will develop a detailed action plan for the housing strategy. The final version is scheduled to go back to Cabinet in autumn 2024. https://lnkd.in/eW8vQwkq #TheNextChapter Nicola Butterworth I Nuala Gallagher I Matthew Ashton I Ian Williams I Anne Marie Lubanski I Jacqui McKinlay I Chris Lewis I Camilla Mankabady I Louise Harford MCIEH I Sophie Bevan I Jenny Turnross I Campbell Tickell

After forty years of underinvestment in housing, resulting in unaffordable housing and a chronic shortfall of properties, we commend Minister Christopher Bishop for announcing new requirements for councils to release land for urban development and housing. We are encouraged by the housing growth targets, recognising that Aotearoa needs a diverse range of new housing to meet our people's varied needs and life stages. For the long-term success of the Going for Housing Growth programme and to create an effective housing system where everyone has a place to call 'home’, the following key elements are essential: 1️⃣ Scaling Community Housing Providers (CHPs): The government must scale credible and capable CHPs to deliver housing and support, meeting the diverse needs of the communities they know so well. 2️⃣ Investing in evidence-based programmes: Investment in evidence-based programmes to end homelessness is crucial. Housing First has proven effective locally and globally, delivering value for money and achieving long-term social and intergenerational outcomes across housing, health, education, and justice. 3️⃣ Simplifying the housing system: We agree with the Minister that the housing system is complicated, duplicative, and confusing. The Housing First Auckland Collective has long recognised that the housing funding model is siloed, complex, and uncertain. The solution lies in a whānau-centred, high-trust, flexible funding approach to housing that provides certainty. Together, we can build a sustainable and inclusive housing system that ensures everyone has a place to call ‘home’.

Following the significant insights gained from the 2022 ‘State of Affordable Housing on the Central Coast’ report, Pacific Link Housing has released an updated statement emphasising the continued and urgent need for accelerated efforts in the provision of affordable and key-worker housing. Report available at https://lnkd.in/gnsAee53 Ian Lynch, Group CEO of Pacific Link Housing, shared insights on the challenges experienced. “As the Central Coast’s only locally based Tier 1 Community Housing Provider, Pacific Link Housing is acutely aware of the increasing hardships faced by individuals and families. Our updated report not only reflects on the progress made but also reiterates our call to action for increased funding and streamlined approval processes for social and affordable housing projects specifically.” The statement proposes six strategic actions targeted at national, state and local levels to mitigate the housing crisis effectively. It calls for increased collaboration and expedited measures to ensure that more affordable housing can be delivered swiftly and efficiently. Local leaders and stakeholders including Regional Development Australia Central Coast, Business NSW - Central Coast, Darkinjung Local Aboriginal Land Council, the University of Newcastle, UDIA NSW - Central Coast, Central Coast Council and the Central Coast Local Health District have again supported this paper, and are united with Pacific Link Housing’s commitment to resolving this critical issue and calls for action, that will benefit the whole community. Liesl Tesch AM David Harris Adam Crouch MP Emma McBride David Farmer

News that Redbridge council is considering moving those living in temporary accommodation into social housing hundreds of miles away will leave many families across London facing an anxious wait. Shelter's excellent #MADEINSOCIALHOUSING campaign from earlier this year – link in comments – showed that one of its greatest benefits is how social housing fosters a sense of community by enabling people to live near their friends, families, workplaces and childhood neighbourhoods. We know from our CharityTracker data that people are increasingly relying on engagement with their local community in their daily lives – a trend that has grown since the pandemic.   Housing should be built where the need is – to keep communities together and individuals close to their support networks and their sources of income. https://lnkd.in/eaWAq-HD

The London Housing Panel has today published a statement calling for the government to ensure stays in temporary accommodation are as short, safe and healthy as possible. One in fifty Londoners are homeless and living in temporary accommodation. This means that on average, one child in every classroom is in temporary accommodation. The government has committed to reduce the number of households in temporary accommodation and increased funding for local councils to help prevent and end homelessness. This is welcome, but it will take time. In the meantime, a record number of Londoners are living in temporary accommodation, often in unsuitable accommodation and far from their workplaces, schools and support networks. The Panel asks for the government to commit to make all stays in temporary accommodation short, safe and healthy. This statement has been sent to Rushanara Ali MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Homelessness and Rough Sleeping. You can read the full statement on our website (link in comments), which sets out the London Housing Panel's policy asks. The London Housing Panel has asked for a response to its policy positions, including the specific steps that the Government is taking to address the shocking standards and lack of amenity affecting Londoners from all backgrounds currently living in temporary accommodation. About the London Housing Panel: The London Housing Panel is a coalition of 15 groups and organisations that want the diverse voices of different housing experiences in London to influence the Mayor's policies. It is funded by Trust for London and the Mayor of London.

🔟 Signing off as a Hexagon Housing Association board member after a ten year stint! Here’s some of what I learned. 💡 You don’t need to be a housing expert to be a good board member. In fact, different backgrounds and experiences add vital perspective and while boards need the technical skills to provide good governance on an increasingly diverse portfolio (and to satisfy the regulator), non-specialist insights and knowledge matter. 🏘 To say housing associations are facing a multitude of increasing challenges would be quite the understatement. London housing associations are grappling with a range of issues, including fire safety, damp and mould, energy efficiency and contractor management, in an increasingly uncertain financial environment. 🚂 Housing association boards have no room for passengers! There are so many opportunities to get stuck in on providing oversight, support and challenge to the senior leadership team. I’ve been a lead board member on community development, sat on the audit and risk committee and chaired the People Committee through which I helped recruit several board members and the chief executive. Boards are small teams so be ready to roll up your sleeves. ⚡ Dealing with the unexpected needs a cool and calm approach as epitomised by Kerry Heath BSc Hons, MA, FCIH, MRICS when at one site a sink hole suddenly appeared, residents had to be evacuated and major remediation and legal activity undertaken. The excellent plan that was put in place and executed to the letter is one I often cite in interviews when asked about dealing with a crisis. 💚 I’m proud that Hexagon is committed to putting residents at the heart of its work. I’ve met lots of residents mostly alongside Mark Allan, sometimes to hear their complaints, which highlighted important issues and generated useful lessons on how to improve service delivery and the interface with residents. 📝 Like many organisations Hexagon has more than its fair share of unsung heroes, not all of whom I know. But Val Sharpe has been a lynchpin for me, sending me my welcome email, organising induction, helping me navigate Hexagon IT, recording every meeting I've taken part in with skill and diplomacy and being constantly helpful, professional and efficient. Every organisation needs a Val! Also huge thanks to Tracy Inniss for her consistently insightful and up to date advice on human resources. 🙏 I grew up in council housing and have volunteered with charities supporting homeless people all my adult life, so social and affordable housing is something I care about passionately. It was a great privilege to have the chance to serve on the Hexagon board. 👋 Best wishes to the brilliant team led by CEO Sheron Carter and Chair Simon Fanshawe in delivering Hexagon's mission to provide and grow decent and affordable homes for lower income households South London.