Sustainable Homes Index launched for housing associations and local authorities » Environment » 24dash.com

Sustainable Homes, England's leading sustainable housing training organisation, has launched a new index scheme aimed at assessing the environmental sustainability credentials of housing associations and local authorities.

SHIFT - Sustainable Homes Index For Tomorrow - also rates performance.

Four Housing Associations have already joined the scheme: Peabody Trust, Gentoo Green, Hastoe Housing Association and Wakefield and District Housing.

This is a great opportunity to demonstrate tangible commitment to improve the way environmental sustainability is implemented and communicated to all stakeholders.
In particular, each organisation has the opportunity to assess its own improvement year on year and on the basis of its overall performance, it will be ranked in bands (from bronze to platinum, the latter grouping the highest performers).

The use of a logo which indicates the band gained will demonstrate the active commitment and achievement within the sector and the ranking will be published in the housing press and media giving high media profile to the HAs which has taken part in SHIFT.

The band ranking will encourage and support continuous improvement, from minimum standards to higher level of actions which goes beyond legal compliance and demonstrate best practice.

In addition it will help to share knowledge and find a wider support within the sector and with policy makers in improving the environmental sustainability of the housing sector.

A quick guide to the Sustainable Homes Index For Tomorrow 2008:

What is it?

A membership scheme providing a comprehensive assessment of an organisation’s sustainability and an overall rating similar to the schools and hospitals performance rating.

Who for?

Housing organisations - the primary market will be housing associations but other potential members include maintenance bodies, Arms Length Maintenance Organisations, local authority and large scale voluntary transfers Stakeholders supporting include: UK Green Building Council, Bank of Scotland Corporate, WWF, Housing Corporation and the GLA

When?

Members will be invited to join up until the end of May 2008. Membership will be renewed annually and the results will be given high media profile within the sector.

How does it work?

Sustainable Homes Ltd will carry out the review and analysis of information collected. Because progress in the field is complex, the full assessment will be carried out every second year including the following topic areas: governance, existing build and new build. Each participant will receive a feedback on their performance and an overall score. In the intervening years a specific topic will be chosen, such as water efficiency or resident involvement. A quantification of performance will be undertaken on this subject area.

Why would clients want it?

For bodies such as housing associations, membership to the index provides the opportunity for assessment of progress on sustainability against peers and over time in addition to a bespoke interaction with housing experts on how to improve.

For stakeholders such as the Housing Corporation, local authorities, housing sector investors and organisations such as WWF, the Index will help distinguish between organisations progressing sustainability and those paying lip service to it. The Index incentivises improved management and performance on key sustainability issues without more regulation.

The concept has been used before - Upstream Consultancy manages an index on the twenty largest house builders.

The Sustainable Homes Index is different in that it focuses more on existing buildings and affordable housing providers.