Getting our house in order will be the focus of our roundtable discussion on the future of affordable housing at the Conservative party conference this week. We'll be exploring how we transform for the future, building on our track record of delivering new homes and investing in people and communities. The opportunity for change is firmly within our grasp.
The most recent survey of members of the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) identified the need for change. Individually and collectively we must show leadership, embrace change and develop practical solutions with government policy-makers that will work for our organisations and our tenants, now and in future.
As well as the views of government, there have been dozens of thinktank reports on housing published in the last year alone. The only conclusion I have been able to reach after digesting the myriad of proposals and hundreds of pages of evidence, is that this problem is as complex as it is serious.
So this week, around 20 politicians, housing professionals and other stakeholders will join MP Jake Berry in Manchester in a debate hosted by Localis. We want an honest and open dialogue about how to make this change and how to develop practical solutions to our problems.
I will be stressing four key areas in which we can deliver social, economic and environmental benefits and meet key policy agendas: building new homes and investing in existing stock; investing in community services and neighbourhoods to create jobs and opportunities; our role as community enablers creating, supporting innovation and enterprise; and encouraging greater civic participation to make localism a reality.
To address the deep-rooted problem of poor perceptions of our work, our offer to government must be strong, compelling and provide solutions. In return, we can and should expect freedom and support from the government to develop and diversify our social and economic businesses, alongside better recognition of our contribution.
Since 2005, Orbit has built 4,000 homes and invested more than £100m in upgrading current homes. As a sector, we have budgeted to spend nearly £15bn over five years in our communities. We deserve to be recognised as significant drivers of economic and social investment at the heart of the solution, not seen as an outmoded part of the problem.
Ultimately, it is action that counts. So this discussion will also be a first step in providing a new platform for housing organisations to work together to transform in practical terms. We will call these groups "change networks", and they will be co-ordinated by the CIH. But the onus is on individual organisations to show leadership and take this agenda forward in whatever ways will work for them and their peers in each of the regions.
Like anything, its impact will depend on demonstrable results. Never has there been a stronger imperative to transform. In the current climate, the phrase "now or never" springs to mind.
Paul Tennant is chief executive of Orbit.
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