The question of how to deliver enough affordable, quality housing is not new — it’s the answer which is rapidly evolving.
At a time when the Covid-19 pandemic has brought into sharp focus just how much society relies on our army of key workers, the amount of new social and affordable housing on offer to them has been hit by the closure of construction sites.
So how should we navigate the short-term future of housing, try to predict an uncertain future, match supply to demand and draw on wider support?
Demand for new housing is still very strong and, unlike the financial crisis in 2008, banks are continuing to lend, meaning green shoots of growth can be seen in the social and affordable housing market.
We may also see an increase in government grants to housing associations and local authorities, with the aim of boosting housebuilding as a much-needed economic stimulus to prevent too deep a recession after the Covid-19 pandemic.
According to Savills Estate Agents, most economic forecasters envisage a sharp, short economic contraction in 2020, particularly in Q2, followed by a rebound in late 2020/early 2021. If this is the case, housing associations and local authorities may be able to offset short-term reductions in rent or sales income with the savings made from delays to new construction and maintenance programmes. If grants also increase significantly, we could see housing associations bouncing back with confidence when normality resumes.
In London the focus on providing social and affordable housing is being driven by two key public bodies at the heart of delivery. Homes England and the Greater London Authority are being bold in their ambitions to buy stalled sites and develop infrastructure to create new opportunities for homes.
The government target of 300,000 new homes a year by the mid-2020s creates a short-term goal, but that is not at the expense of quality. The ambition is to build long-term sustainable places to live, rather than simply throw up dwellings.
In order to deliver both quality and quantity, Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DFMA) and off-site construction provide clear solutions. Building homes in factory environments enables a focus on precision and quality: machines offer consistency of work and factory conditions allow incredible resilience, meaning production can continue whether there is bad weather or social distancing measures in place.
Progressive housing providers are already starting to see the impact DfMA can bring to housing stock, without any compromise on quality. For example, AECOM and RSHP’s INNO solution is delivering 39 homes for YMCA Thames Gateway in Romford, as part of the YMCA’s independent living programme – housing which enables individuals to‘move on’ from supported living.
It’s clear increased levels of collaboration and a shared focus on governance are also important to deliver the new homes needed. Effective project management and adoption of digital tools is critical to bringing together different stakeholders from the public and private sectors. It can keep everyone engaged throughout the process and gives confidence to those trying to deliver housing in new ways. Giving stakeholders a regular project overview via digital means provides an invaluable and inclusive platform to jointly work through the environmental, social and governance issues and improve their outcomes.
At the heart of any housing programme has to be creating communities and cities that people want to live and stay in. Homes need to be high quality, high performing and sustainable. We need to collaborate more and adopt digital processes to help deliver on this aim. We also need to deliver the outcomes wider society needs, such as benefitting an area’s economy or environment. There should be no compromise, we can do both.
