Housing associations

Howard Trotter, business manager of window and fire door manufacturer Shelforce, discusses whether housing associations are getting value for money for crucial products – and how they can successfully balance both cost and quality.

The social housing landscape is constantly evolving; but what is not, is a commitment to the safety and quality of life for residents.

As housing associations strive to provide comfortable and secure homes for their residents, a critical aspect involves the maintenance and enhancement of properties, with replacement windows and doors, including fire doors, essential components for both safety and energy efficiency.

In our digitally driven society, it is easy to forget that there is still a meaningful proportion of homes that are not connected to the internet or have easy access to a laptop, tablet or smartphone. A recent Ofcom report found that six per cent of households were unconnected – not a huge percentage, but one that equates to about 1.7 million households.

By far the largest proportion of these homes without internet access had residents aged 75 and above, and included those households in the lowest income bracket and most financially vulnerable. It is not a far stretch to consider that a large majority of these are probably in social housing.

Ian Williams, one of the UK’s largest privately-owned property services companies; is delighted to report significant growth in the last financial year, increasing its sales from £92m to £122m with an improved net profit margin of 3.0%. This financial performance further demonstrates the organisation’s commitment to growth in a difficult market. The order book has also seen improvement thanks to the long-term nature of contracts secured, and now exceeds £500m. Importantly, future growth will be achieved, sustainably, through a strategic commitment to People, Planet and the Community.

With growing focus on sustainability, Daniel Weait, National Accounts Manager and CCPI Project Lead at Marley, highlights how the new Code for Construction Product Information (CCPI) means housing associations can have total confidence in the construction product choices they make.

Housing Association Magazine is undoubtedly the go-to publication for manufacturers whose specific interest lies in the social and affordable housing sector.

Featuring the latest news, events, services, products and innovations, HA also hosts regular informative features, hot topics and key information written by our experienced editorial team. HA Magazine is the definitive resource for specifiers and professionals who want to keep up-to-date with their industry.

Our figures speak for themselves, with a readership of over 8,000 specifiers in print and a further 7,000+ digital subscribers, advertising in HA will ensure your product or service is seen by over 15,000 relevant decision-makers across the sector.

Our premium printed publication is supported by a strong online presence consisting of a dynamic and intuitive website, a digital edition of our magazine and an ever-growing community of engaged Twitter followers. HA delivers industry news that is relevant to specifiers of social and affordable housing; all in a clear, sleek and easy-to-read format.

National Social Housing Safety and Compliance Week  is calling for the whole social housing supply chain to unite behind ‘Together for Safety’, a new movement to improve resident safety.

The Week, spearheaded by the Association of Safety and Compliance Professionals (ASCP), is an annual event dedicated to shining a spotlight on safety and compliance at an operational, strategic, and cultural level. It also supports Dame Judith Hackitt’s calls to act faster and address safety cultural issues in the sector. And with the advent of The Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023, the ASCP believes that the Week also has a role in helping to redefine the standards of social housing in the UK. Now in its third year, the campaign will launch a new movement ‘Together for Safety’. This movement recognises that no one person or department, or organisation can deliver safe homes for residents – it involves the whole supply chain coming together.

If our water usage patterns don’t change, the UK will have an ongoing water deficit of 4,000 Megalitres per day by 2050.  Reductions in leakage and domestic consumption are the two primary strands of water conservation targeted by Defra and the water companies.  

Some areas of England are already restricting future development unless ‘water neutrality’ can be demonstrated. This requires both existing and new properties to reduce per capita consumption (PCC) to the extent that overall water usage levels do not increase.