Ealing Development Forum: Discussing London Housing Market Recovery

Continuing my story on the journey to build affordable housing, this time, about crisis accommodation. Previous story here: https://lnkd.in/gWVYZRwc I assist in the operations of a guesthouse and motel in Brisbane. Over the past year, we’ve shifted exclusively to providing rooms for a non-government organisation that offers emergency housing to families and individuals experiencing homelessness. This program is funded by the Queensland Government’s Immediate Housing Response Fund (IHRF), which covers nightly accommodation in motels and hotels. It’s intended as a short-term safety net. A place to stay until people can secure longer-term housing in the private rental market or social housing. But here’s the problem: - The private rental market has very low vacancy rate of 1%, meaning landlords can be highly selective. - And social housing is not being delivered fast enough to meet demand. So what begins as a few nights’ stay often stretches into months. Cue Gilligan’s Island: “a three-hour tour...” 🎵 As a result, the funding pool for the IHRF is being rapidly depleted across Queensland NGOs. This model isn’t sustainable, but the alternative is worse. Without continued support, many of these families will end up sleeping in cars, parks, or returning to unsafe situations. Long-term solutions require more private and public housing supply. But in the meantime, maintaining or increasing IHRF funding is critical, otherwise we risk deepening the crisis we’re trying to solve. #AffordableHousing #CrisisAccommodation #HousingCrisis #Homelessness #PlanningForPeople #PropertyDevelopment

Connexus CEO Kate Smith, in her role as Chair of the Rural Housing Alliance recently took part in Inside Housing's Board Member Briefing on the board’s role in successful regeneration.    Through our #RuralVoice campaign, we’re working with sector bodies and local/national leaders to champion affordable housing and address the unique challenges facing rural areas — from the rurality premium to unequal access to goods and services.   #RuralVoice #UKHousing #Rural #Shropshire #Herefordshire

It was an absolute pleasure to work alongside UDIA SA and Scott Langford to present to our UDIA members on Thursday, focusing on the Housing Australia Future Fund (HAF)—particularly the lessons from Rounds 1 and 2, and what to expect as we approach Round 3. One of the most compelling takeaways from the discussion was South Australia’s strong positioning—arguably leading the nation—in its ability to secure funding in the next round of the HAF. Based on a population-proportional share, this represents an opportunity of approximately $1.27 billion, with the potential to exceed that figure through the right strategic partnerships and fit-for-purpose housing typologies. Crucially, Scott reinforced the message that collaboration with Community Housing Providers (CHPs) is not about competition—it’s a complementary approach that brings real benefits. The strong attendance from both developers and the CHP sector reflected a clear readiness and willingness to work together. For developers, partnering with CHPs can open access to institutional capital, streamline large-scale transactions, and enable the delivery of high-quality, long-term housing. This model also supports faster capital recycling and reduces delivery risk—critical levers for accelerating supply and meeting demand. This is a significant opportunity for our state—but it will only be realised through coordination, innovation, and shared purpose. The path forward is clear: as developers, CHPs, and sector leaders, it’s now up to us to act on these insights, collaborate effectively, and deliver the housing outcomes that South Australians urgently need—and rightly deserve.

The London Housing Directors' Group have two clear lobbying asks from the autumn Budget which we support at the National Housing Federation. They are: ➡️ A positive outcome on the consultation on rent convergence would further strengthen social housing providers’ ability to build more social homes, helping unblock stalled sites. ➡️ Restoring Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates to 30% of the market, on an ongoing basis, is a vital response to stop the homelessness crisis escalating further. These measures are not just important in London, they would benefit people impacted by the housing crisis and in need of a social home right across the country.

Accent Housing has secured £33.8m in new government funding through its Strategic Partnership with Homes England. https://lnkd.in/eD2jsiUz #ukhousing #housebuilding Nick Apetroaie Accent Group Ltd Steve Morris Thrive Homes UK Chantelle Barker

PLACE Group, in partnership with O'Shea Group, is proud to announce the sale of the affordable housing block at its ‘Portal’ BTR development to Flint Housing, a for-profit registered provider of affordable homes. The transaction will deliver 63 high-quality, family-sized affordable homes built to the latest British Standards for fire safety—supported by Greater London Authority grant funding and the Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation (OPDC). This milestone marks a key step in delivering the wider 350-home Portal scheme, which is on track for completion in June 2027. The landmark 36-storey building will include a mix of homes for rent, active ground floor uses, and new public realm that will make a vibrant contribution to the North Acton neighbourhood. PLACE and O’Shea were advised by Howard Kennedy LLP, while Flint Housing was advised by Gowling WLG and Martin Arnold Ltd. Read the full story on our website: https://lnkd.in/ePc6m3mR #HousingDelivery #AffordableHomes #BuildToRent #LondonDevelopment #Partnerships #PLACEGroup #OShea #FlintHousing #GLA #OPDC

Great Places Housing Group has officially broken ground on a new affordable housing development in the borough of Bury. 🟠 Key details: • Funding: £10.3 million investment • Developer: Great Places Housing Group • Local partners involved: Bury Council’s Housing and Adult Social Care leads • Purpose: Specialist affordable homes for local residents 🟠 What this means for the community & the sector: • Strong signal of ongoing commitment to affordable housing in Greater Manchester • Opportunity for local people who’ve been priced out • Projects like this show how public & housing bodies can deliver meaningful impact At 4tify, we believe developments like this matter. They’re not just house they’re homes that bring people & communities forward. #AffordableHousing #NewBuildUK #Bury #HousingDevelopment #GreatPlaces #4tify #ResidentialConstruction

It will be interesting to see whether this potential shift — allowing developers to reduce the social housing mix and claim higher subsidies — will actually be implemented, and if it does, whether it helps unlock stalled sites and accelerate delivery across London. Balancing the need for viability against the wider goal of affordable, inclusive communities remains one of the sector’s biggest challenges. Worth a read: The Guardian explores how this proposal could reshape London’s housing landscape. https://lnkd.in/ePZ6zdwz #propertydevelopment #realestate #planning #housing #London #viability Harold Benjamin

PA Housing has further scaled back its development pipeline to focus on investment in existing homes, despite delivering record completions in 2024-25. https://lnkd.in/eVpeSwWu #UKhousing #HousingFinance #HousingAssociations

Construction is well underway at our Warwick Road development in Birmingham, where we're transforming a former industrial site into 46 affordable homes. This £11.5m project includes 32 social rent homes and 14 rent-to-buy properties, developed in partnership with TR Partnership Homes Limited and supported by the West Midlands Combined Authority. Our Executive Director of Development, Nick Byrne shares: “We’re committed to tackling the housing crisis by providing high-quality, genuinely affordable homes where they’re needed most.” This initiative aligns with the Mayor's goal of delivering 2,000 social rent homes annually by 2028, contributing to the region's housing needs. Read more: https://lnkd.in/ePnwd_fp #AffordableHousing #CommunityDevelopment #CitizenHousing #SocialRent #RentToBuy #WMCA #BirminghamHousing