Our Priorities 2012/13 (Business Plan)

Our priorities2012/13

Contents

Moving forward 3

A vision for housing 4

Changing lives 6

Localism: on the front line 8

Back to business 10

Being an exemplary organisation 12

Contact information 14

OUR PRIORITIES 2012/13

Moving forward

What will the housing market look like beyond 2015? Are we facing major changes in the way that housing is delivered and supported in England? With significant opportunities and challenges on the horizon for our members, our priorities for the coming business year reflect the need to establish a strong evidence base for new investment models, and to continue making the case for the social and economic impact of housing associations.At the same time we will be working with our members to assess the impact of welfare reform and other new legislation, holding government to account on its promises and standing up for those who are priced out of the most basic of rights – a home they can afford.If the past few years have shown us anything it is that housing associations are well equipped to respond to change positively and quickly. Our priorities for 2012-2013 will establish a strong foundation to move forward with a clear vision for the future. We look forward to working with our members and partners to deliver it.

David Orr, chief executive, National Housing Federation

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We will work with members to develop a strategy for the housing market. Our members are already exploring and utilising innovative new business methods, including funding models, and we will continue to engage with them to devise ideas and solutions to meet housing needs.

By widening the housing debate, we want to challenge political and public perceptions of the value of housing associations and their tenants. We will work closely with our members to define a vision for the role of housing associations up to and beyond 2015.

A vision for housing

5OUR PRIORITIES 2012/13

■ Ensure the planning system supports the delivery of new affordable homes including supported and rural housing

■ Build on and develop the Funding Future Homes project with members and stakeholders

■ Lobby and exert influence on government departments, key partners and local authorities

■ Liaise with research bodies and opinion formers to develop ideas and build a strong evidence base to support our lobbying and influencing

■ Explore, engage with and support the benefits of social enterprise models

■ Influence and input into the comprehensive spending review

■ Input into political debate and government thinking on future investment models

■ Promote the National Planning Policy Framework to support the building of high quality, sustainable new developments

■ Publish our Home Truths report highlighting the state of the housing market in England

Our priorities in 2012/13

6 OUR PRIORITIES 2012/13

We will continue to promote and champion housing associations as leading investors in people and places. By highlighting the influence housing associations have in creating better places to live, we want to demonstrate to politicians and decision makers their value beyond the provision of homes.

We will research and report on the social implications of economic austerity and how this affects our members and their tenants. Following government changes to welfare reform and employment policies, we’ll work closely with members to help prepare for changes to income streams, and to manage the risks involved.

Changing lives


■ Highlight the role housing associations play in supporting economic growth and improving public health

■ Assess the implications for housing associations of recent changes to the welfare system

■ Work towards achieving a wide understanding of Universal Credit among members and their tenants

■ Ensure the implementation of the welfare reforms takes account of the experiences of members and tenants

■ Increase the number of apprenticeships in housing associations

■ Launch the Community Impact Awards to profile the work housing associations do to improve neighbourhoods

■ Continue our commitment to financial inclusion, My Home Finance, Contents Insurance and Energy Switch services

■ Demonstrate to politicians the scale, level and scope of housing associations’ work by publishing the Neighbourhood Audit report

■ Hold government to account for its housing policy by publishing the Housing Report


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The involvement and engagement of members in the localism agenda is essential to regional development opportunities. We will work with local and regional government structures, city groups and private businesses to ensure housing is seen as a key driver of economic growth.

By assessing and interpreting the varying localist agendas, we will engage with members to ensure they can navigate the new landscape, and are represented in the debates that matter. We will work on developing a narrative that engages politicians, decision makers and opinion formers, and reflects differing local needs.

Localism: on the front line

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■ Engage with and influence the agenda for cities and regions

■ Help members connect with and achieve good levels of representation on Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs)

■ Support housing associations in accessing LEP funding

■ Ensure regional commissioners understand the role of housing associations

■ Ensure Joint Strategic Needs Assessments include housing needs

■ Improve awareness and understanding of localism through our regional and national events and training programmes

■ Launch our locally focused ‘Yes to Homes’ campaign to enable tenants to contribute to the debate

■ Build partnerships with Health and Well Being Boards to prioritise the role of housing in delivering healthy communities


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We will continue to work to save the sector money and safeguard the interests of our members. By interpreting risks and pressures, and making sure housing associations are well informed on business critical issues, we’ll work hard to protect members’ finances.

Within the context of new regulatory systems we will look to create the

conditions for members to perform at the highest level – and will provide high-quality policy information and advice to help them do so. We will continue to promote the independence of the sector and identify funding opportunities. By developing our commercial activity we will generate a vital financial contribution that will help keep membership fees at the lowest feasible level.

Back to business

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■ Work closely with the Homes and Communities Agency in its new role

■ Strive to increase Work Programme placements in housing associations

■ Work through the implications for members of changes to financial systems

■ Help board members and executive teams understand co-regulation and apply new regulation standards

■ Engage effectively around changes to building regulations and other building standards

■ Provide timely policy information and advice on areas such as tax, pensions and accounting

■ Engage with professional bodies to ensure quality and accuracy

■ Develop products and services to inform, support and provide tangible benefits to members

■ Promote the effective governance and cost-effectiveness of the sector

■ Engage with our European network to secure funding for the sector and address issues such as EU procurement and state aid



We will continue to place members at the centre of everything we do by ensuring that our lobbying and influencing work reflects the diverse needs of the sector. We will develop our existing national and local partnerships, identifying where we can add the most value to deliver on behalf of our members.

At the same time we will review and improve our stakeholder engagement and communications strategies to ensure these keep pace with the evolving needs of our membership and reflect emerging political agendas.

Following completion of the business strategy review, we will develop our medium-term corporate strategy and continue to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the organisation.

Being an exemplary organisation


■ Complete business strategy review and prepare for roll out in 2013

■ Ensure effective member engagement through lead managers and regional offices

■ Review members’ communication needs, including committees and member groups

■ Build on and enhance the inclusive culture within our organisation

■ Prioritise the development of a customer intelligence strategy

■ Deliver a sector-leading programme of regional and national events that meets members’ needs

■ Ensure our members are supported with the professional products and services they need to excel

■ Deliver our strategy for enhancing IT infrastructure and business systems to improve productivity and customer engagement

■ Increase our transparency as an organisation both inside and outside our membership


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National Housing Federation Lion Court25 Procter StreetLondon WC1V 6NYTel: 020 7067 [email protected]

Find out more about the Federation where you are:www.housing.org.uk/ourregions

Visit our website for more details on:

■ our board■ our leadership team■ our regional chairs’ group

For policy information and contacts, visit www.housing.org.uk


Contact information

Follow us on Twitter: @natfednewsFind us on Facebook: National Housing FederationJoin our LinkedIn networks

Contact information

The National Housing Federation is the voice of affordable housing in England. We believe that everyone should have the home they need at a price they can afford. That’s why we represent the work of housing associations and campaign for better housing.

Our members provide two and a half million homes for more than five million people. And each year they invest in a diverse range of neighbourhood projects that help create strong, vibrant communities.

National Housing Federation 2012www.housing.org.uk

Documents

Our Priorities 2012/13 (Business Plan)