CIH President tells South West housing delegates to fight to put HOUSING at the top of the New Government's Agenda.
Howard Farrand, President of the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) told delegates at the CIH SW Housing event held in Torquay from 14 to16 April that it will take some time for the housing sector to work through the reality of the recession and that we must learn lessons from the credit crunch and not go back to business as usual.
Howard said "We have to shape a better environment as we come out of the long, dark tunnel of the recession. Housing is one of the key building blocks that will keep the country stable. This is the ideal opportunity for the housing sector to stop the systematic cycle of boom and bust that keeps happening. We have to make our organisations strong and robust so people can depend upon us."
He acknowledged the green shoots of recovery in the housing market but reminded delegates that over 1.8 million households within the UK are looking for affordable homes. He called for a radical change in the way affordable housing is delivered as public funding is going to be hit very hard and the industry will be asked to build more homes with less funding.
He said, "We need to create new mechanisms so we can spend less but create more - we need a Spec Savers for the housing sector."
He concluded by saying that if we get housing right over the coming decade we can improve education, employment opportunities and health and create a stable and prosperous economy.
He concluded, "Housing is a force within social policy - not an add-on. We have to fight hard to put housing at the top of the new Government's agenda."
Notes for Editors
If you would like more information email gill.wordsmith@ntlworld.com or call 01202 466527/07989 720554.
The CIH South West Housing Event took place at the Palace Hotel in Torquay from 14 - 16 April 2010.
The Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) is the professional body for people involved in housing and communities. We are a registered charity and not-for-profit organisation. We have over 22,000 members – both in the public and private sectors – living and working in over 20 countries on five continents across the world. Our members work for local authorities, housing associations, Arms Length Management Organisations, Government bodies, educational establishments and the private sector. Many tenants and residents are also members. We exist to maximise the contribution that housing professionals make to the well-being of communities. Further information is available at: www.cih.org.
(Issued on behalf of the Chartered Institute of Housing by Gill Smith)
