Conference Agenda

The agenda for the day will look at the key issues in Affordable Housing Delivery & Investment in the UK

8.30am Pre Conference Networking Session
  • Delegates arrive from 8:30am when an informal breakfast is provided, and a chance to network with other attendees, before the conference starts at 9:30am
9.30am Chairman’s Welcome & Introduction
  • Investment & Partnerships in the Affordable Housing Sector – How is this evolving?

Speaker: Helen Collins, UK Board Member, Head of Affordable Housing Consultancy, Savills (Chair)

9.40am Opening Address: How can the UK Housing Market innovate to deliver Housing at scale?
  • How can partnerships and investment be used to make it happen and how can the private and public sector work together?
  • How do we put socially conscious development and strong ESG credentials at the forefront of the investment in, and delivery of, Housing in the UK?
  • What are the long-term opportunities and what tenures & products are HAs looking to deliver & where?
  • How are we looking to structure JVs with Local Authorities, developers & investors?
  • What do HAs need from Central & Local Government to make delivery happen?

Speaker: Scott Black, COO, Places for People

10.00am The 2023 UK Housing Market Update – Where are we?
  • What is the International & Domestic Economic Outlook & what is this likely to mean for Housing?
  • Where does Politics come in and what will be the impacts of interest rate rises and inflation on Housing Markets and mortgage affordability?
  • Despite the uncertainty, why does the UK still make sense for both short term and long term investment?
  • How attractive is UK Housing as an investment to international money?

Speaker: Grainne Gilmore, Director of Research & Insights, Cluttons

10.20am The Role of Homes England in Housing Delivery – what are the strategic objectives?
  • UK wide opportunities for Development – How are Central Government looking to support Housing Delivery & what are the funding options?
  • Which tenures are the priority?
  • A Breakdown of the Key Programmes and Joint Ventures available with Homes England
  • What is available and what are the processes?
  • How will Strategic Partnerships between Homes England & Housing Associations facilitate delivery?

Speaker: Jennifer Murray, Head of Institutional Investment, Homes England

10.40am Questions for Scott, Grainne & Peter from Helen
10.50am Coffee & Networking Break
11.20am Panel Session - Building a Strategic Direction for a Modern Housing Association
  • Large Scale Regeneration across the UK – what is needed to make it successful?
  • How do we create a mixed tenure, successfully integrated community?
  • How can HA’s embrace Build to Rent and how can an affordable rental product be delivered?
  • How are funding & investment models evolving for Housing Associations
  • How do Housing Associations view Private Sector Investors and where are the potential Joint Venture Opportunities in the market moving forward?
  • Are HA’s looking to partner with smaller organisations and charities and how can these unlock new housing and smaller sites?
  • How can the Affordable Housing sector become more sustainable and demonstrate the highest standard of ESG & environmental credentials?

Speakers: Elizabeth Froude, Chief Executive, Platform Housing Group,
Catherine Raynsford, Director, The Hyde Group,
Amy Shaw, Partner, Trowers & Hamlins,
Helen Collins, UK Board Member, Head of Affordable Housing Consultancy, Savills (Chair)

12.00pm Where are we with Housing Delivery, Partnerships and Joint Ventures in the UK
  • Government Announcements and what they mean for Local Authorities, Housing Associations and Private Sector Investment & Joint Ventures.
  • What are the likely impacts of rent caps on the Affordable Housing Sector?
  • Understanding how Private Sector Investments & Joint Ventures with Local Authorities and Housing Associations are important to helping delivery goals
  • How can the needs of both the investor and the Local Authority or Housing Association best be married together?
  • How much private investment has there now been into Affordable Housing in the UK?
  • What is the long-term investment capacity of this market and where do we see the growth areas?
  • What is the capacity for Local Authority Housing Delivery and where does the private sector come into this?

Speakers: Helen Collins, UK Board Member, Head of Affordable Housing Consultancy, Savills,
Steve Partridge, Director, Savills

12.20pm Questions for Helen and Steve
12.25pm Retrofit and Zero Carbon Building – How can the housing sector approach this?
  • How can we retrofit residential buildings to reduce the carbon footprint and what methods can be used?
  • How can we calculate when to refurbish, and when to demolish?
  • How important is embodied carbon when making this decision?
  • How can innovation and modern methods of construction facilitate significantly quicker housing delivery?

Speaker: Ricardo Moreira, Managing Director, XCO2

12.45pm Sustainability for Housing – How can the Social Housing Sector reach the highest standards of ESG?
  • How is this progressing and evolving and what is the next stage for these priorities?
  • How will this unlock new sources of funding and investment?
  • What is the ultimate goal?

Speaker: Sarah Forster, Chief Executive, The Good Economy

1.05pm Questions for Dermot and Sarah
1.15pm Networking Lunch Session for Speakers & Delegates
2.15pm Panel Session – Why are investors investing in Affordable Housing and what is the potential of this market?
  • Hearing from the New Entrants – what is bringing them into the market and why now?
  • Hearing from those who’ve been in the sector longer – what is the next stage of growth and what is the long term plan?
  • How do Institutional Investors view the Affordable and Social Housing Markets?
  • Where does this fit in with other Residential Investments such as Build to Rent?
  • What kind of deals and structures are investors looking for in Affordable Housing?
  • What is the investor view of JVs with Housing Associations, Local Authorities and Housebuilders, to provide and manage Affordable housing?
  • What are the biggest difficulties in the sector for investors and how can these be overcome?

Speakers: Munawer Shafi, Head of Structured & Private Debt - Real Assets, Aviva Investors,
Elizabeth Austerberry, Chair - Octopus Affordable Homes, Octopus Real Estate,
Allen Twyning, Head of Affordable Housing, Pension Insurance Corporation,
Simon Century, Managing Director - Housing, Legal & General,
Helen Collins, UK Board Member, Head of Affordable Housing Consultancy, Savills (Chair)

2.55pm An update from the Regulator – what are the current priorities?
  • Understanding who can really own & operate Affordable Housing – where does a for-profit provider sit & how easy is it to create one?
  • What do RSH regulations require when it comes to management of stock?
  • Understanding the Funding Structures for Social Housing in the UK – how are these viewed by the regulator?
  • What do those look to Invest with Local Authorities and Housing Associations need to know?
  • New Partners & New Vehicles – Attracting New Investment & Innovation and the role it plays in Future Delivery of Housing

Speaker: Will Perry, Director of Strategy, Regulator of Social Housing

3.15pm Questions for Fiona
3.20pm Case Studies of New Housing Investment & Delivery Models Demonstrating real life Investment & Joint Venture Structures that Enable Delivery – How are they funded, who is involved, how are they delivered and what is delivered?
  • Demonstrating real life Investment & Joint Venture Structures that Enable Delivery – How are they funded, who is involved, how are they delivered and what is delivered?
Case Study One
  • Leeds - Delivering a City-wide Regeneration Strategy
  • How vital are partnerships with the Private Sector to enable large scale housing delivery?
  • What are the other key elements to making things happen and how is this evolving?

Speaker: Adam Brannen, Head of Regeneration, Leeds City Council

Case Study Two
  • How can partnerships between Housebuilders and Local Authorities & HAs can add real social value, whilst regenerating and providing much needed housing?
  • How are these relationships evolving?

Speaker: Kate Ives, Strategic Growth Director, Countryside Partnerships

Case Study Three
  • How can an urban London Borough innovate to deliver much needed housing?
  • How is this delivered and what kind of partnerships are used to make it happen?

Speaker: Cllr Shama Tatler, Cabinet Member for Regeneration & Planning, London Borough of Brent

Case Study Four
  • How can housebuilders use partnerships to deliver mixed tenure communities and valuable regeneration and housing?
  • What is the potential to grow this across the country?

Speaker: Mary Parsons, Regeneration and Partnerships Director, Lovell

4.00pm Questions for Kate, Adam, Shama and Mary
4.15pm Closing remarks from the Chair

Speaker: Helen Collins, UK Board Member, Head of Affordable Housing Consultancy, Savills (Chair)

4.20pm Close & The Annual Affordable Housing Networking Drinks Reception for Speakers & Attendees