Housing 2022 is the Chartered Institute of Housing’s annual conference in Manchester and provides a fantastic range of conference lectures, exhibition space and opportunities for networking across the sector.

Emily Thompson, Fuel Poverty & Climate Change Director at Groundwork, went along last week to meet partners and find out what the priorities and developments for the sector are.

Here are the top five things she learnt:
  • A growing number of housing associations are recognising the need to engage tenants in the retrofit process as the lived experience of people in these properties is crucial to the success of the programmes. Rochdale Boroughwide Housing in particular gave some fantastic case studies of how they’ve engaged tenants in their current delivery
  • Many presenters talked about collaboration being key to successfully delivering retrofit schemes
  • For effective change to be delivered carbon literacy and awareness of the impacts of climate change need to be understood throughout an organisation
  • Digital poverty is a growing concern, particularly since the pandemic. HACT presented that without access to cheap data and wifi tenants struggle with a range of different things. Education and training remain largely online and require internet connectivity in the home. Access to cheaper bills, credit and financial information all require the ability to connect to the internet.
  • Suppliers to housing associations were all conscious of their impact on the environment through using recycled materials, more longevity from their products, and materials which enable more efficient installations.

If you attended the event Emily would love to hear how you found it  – please get in touch at Emily.thompson@groundwork.org.uk