bpha features in a new three-part programme produced by ITN Productions and the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) which examines the UK’s housing crisis.
Introduced by national newsreader Natasha Kaplinsky and unveiled in June 2018, ‘Solving the Housing Crisis’ looks at ways to tackle the housing shortage and speaks to the housing associations, local authorities, and housing professionals who are leading the way.
The programme features key industry interviews and news-style reports along with sponsored editorial profiles.
In the film we focus on the importance of engagement and communication with our customers in every part of the process, from development of new homes and establishing new communities, through to regenerating existing properties and encouraging established communities to flourish.
Kevin Bolt, bpha’s Chief Executive, was interviewed for the programme.
“We need to really make sure that people understand exactly what our purpose is; and surpluses or profit we create just gets put straight back into building new homes and providing new services,” he said.
“Whatever we do, we have to do it from a customer-centric point of view. You’ve got to ensure that [the customers] will be happy with the homes they end up with.”
The programme also examines the high demand for affordable homes in locations such as Cambridge and the need for supporting infrastructure.
The new town of Northstowe features in the programme, highlighted as a positive step towards providing much needed affordable homes in a high-demand area close to Cambridge. Phase One of the new town will see 300 new affordable homes built; rising to more than 2,000 in Phases Two and Three.
CIH Housing 2018
The programme premiered at a special event at the CIH Housing 2018 conference in Manchester on Tuesday 26 June. The full programme is available to view on the CIH website.
Terrie Alafat CBE, chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH), said: “Housing associations play a huge role in delivering other priorities that this country has, in terms of improving health, in term of economic recovery, in terms of helping people get into jobs, there is a whole range of other things that they do. It is not just housing associations, it is local authorities as well and we have been pushing government for quite a long time to enable local authorities to begin to build houses again in the way they did back in the 60s and 70s.
“The housing crisis is affecting people all over the UK, from young people unable to get their foot on the housing ladder to families putting up with poor conditions in the private rented sector, people stuck on the waiting list for social housing and homeless people trapped in poor quality B&Bs. We simply cannot go on with the system we have or the implications for future generations will be every bit as significant as the impact of Brexit. We’re delighted to have worked with ITN Productions on this project which explores the challenges, highlights potential solutions and showcases the vital work that housing professionals are doing.”