Conference unites housing staff and residents

Published by Kerrie Beck for Longhurst Group in Housing and also in Communities, Education

Two prominent figures from the social housing world provided food for thought when they addressed frontline professionals and residents at a conference in the Midlands.

Michelle Reid, CEO of the Tenant Participatory Advisory Service (TPAS), and Alistair McIntosh, CEO of the Housing Quality Network (HQN), were guest speakers at the MNRI’s (Midlands Network for Resident Involvement) annual conference.

Sally Debiage, Vice-Chair of MNRI and Customer Involvement Officer at Friendship Care and Housing (Friendship) said “the guest speakers were great, on trend and made you stop and think”.

The conference was held at Wolverhampton Racecourse and attracted some 200 frontline housing staff and social housing customers from across the region.

The day started with an address by Michelle Reid, of TPAS, who focused on some of the challenges facing the housing sector and its customers - welfare reform, the lack of affordable housing and the rise in homelessness.

Although there are challenging times ahead, Michelle said there was no better time for residents to get involved with the management of their homes and scrutiny of their landlords following the demise of the Tenant Services Authority. She was confident that residents would take up the challenge but warned that landlords had to ‘invest’ in training to make sure residents had the necessary skills and knowledge to make a real difference.

Alistair McIntosh, of HQN, gave delegates a whistle stop tour of the housing sector over the last decade and a comparison of housing policies of the alternative political parties. He said that residents needed to demand more and ensure landlords were more transparent to their residents, especially those involved in scrutiny.

An exhibition showcasing industry suppliers, consultants and bodies such as National Housing Federation, Chartered Institute of Housing was held throughout the day. Professionals from inside and outside the sector also facilitated workshops on some of the hottest topics in town.

Chris Pinson-Bradley, Chair of MNRI, said it was an enjoyable and thought-provoking day. “What our speakers discussed was incredibly relevant to us as we continue to navigate the changing landscape of the housing sector and attempt to plan for the changes still to come.”

Sally Debiage, Vice-Chair of MNRI and Customer Involvement Officer at Friendship added “It was fabulous to be part of such a successful day. Our customers got to network with other residents, sharing ideas and learning from one another. MNRI has grown from strength to strength over the last few years, growing in numbers with over 130 members representing over 64 housing providers from across the midlands, coming together to share best practice and now pooling resources to offer free training to members.” 

Delegates considered how the MNRI could influence government thinking through targeted campaigns and lobbying. Residents and staff agreed that the MNRI was in a unique position representing the views of housing professionals and involved residents across the Midlands and this could be harnessed to influence policy makers at a national and local level.

Work will now start to see how the MNRI can work with others in the sector to give residents and frontline staff a bigger say.