Sammy Coldron, Senior Consultant on our Housing Finance team, reflects on the recent National Housing Federation’s Housing Finance Conference and the latest developments in the sector.
We recently had the pleasure of exhibiting at our sixth National Housing Federation’s Housing and Finance Conference in Liverpool. This year the conference featured a robust representation of stakeholders, including housing associations, finance providers and policy makers, fostering meaningful connections and discussions. It was an excellent platform for networking and collaboration, allowing us to reconnect with our existing clients and forge new relationships in the sector.
Many clients we heard from talked about the cost-of-living crisis and how, due to increasing issues of damp and mould, housing associations have had to increase both rent and service charges, which in turn has had a negative effect on tenants. With 1 in 6 children growing up in overcrowded homes, the lack of funding in social housing has been highlighted as an ongoing issue, with calls for the government to action long-term planning.
On the positive side, there is a push for the UK to reach Net Zero by 2050, and as social housing makes up of 17% of homes, the government has funded in excess of £3bn to provide improvements that can push towards decarbonisation.
Some of the biggest needs our clients spoke of were for recruiting Rent and Service Charge Accountants due to the aforementioned increases taking place in the sector. Due also to a rise in premiums across the industry, there is a greater demand for Insurance Officers so that organisations are fully staffed with individuals who can assist with these developments.
Overall, the conference provided a valuable opportunity to engage with industry experts and discuss our clients’ ‘pain points’ with regards to their current and anticipated recruitment needs. 2024 will no doubt have its challenges, but I am excited to leverage the knowledge and connections gained at the conference to help our clients drive positive change and innovation in the sector.
To discuss your recruitment requirements, please contact Sammy Coldron on 020 7557 7667 or email scoldron@venngroup.com