The CEO of the National Housing federation is calling on Housing Associations to widen the services they offer and spend more time on promoting themselves.
Speaking at the federation’s ‘Affordable Home Ownership and Intermediate Housing Conference’ in London yesterday, David Orr stated:
“Why is that housing associations – which I think in the main are fabulous organisations that make a real and very positive contribution to neighbourhood building, the economy of the country, got a terrific track record – why are we slightly ashamed of it? because it often feels like that.
“We don’t get out there and say ‘you know what? we are absolutely bloody fantastic.
“If we are not going to do that we are not going to break through this barrier, where housing associations, which are absolutely part of the solution and have been increasingly for the last 40 years, are still seen by many as part of the problem.”
Mr Orr reputedly went on to say that the sector should not focus solely on social rented housing, as the market for new buyers only functions for the top 10 per cent of earners.
He reportedly said: ‘The mission is about providing social rented homes, intermediate market rent, market rent, shared ownership, shared equity, outright sale and providing supported housing and a whole range of neighbourhood support services. If we don’t do it nobody else is going to.’
Neil Hadden, chief executive of Genesis Housing Group, had earlier told the conference that associations need to sell themselves more, painting themselves as “a natural home for people who wouldn’t traditionally have looked at a housing association.”
More information on housing and housing associations can be found here, at the National Housing Federation’s website.