If Day 1 of UKREiiF was all about delivering more housing and places, Day 2 focused on how these contribute to community health.
Our client, Anna Hwang, Chief Investment Officer at BTR developer Placefirst, spoke on a panel about the importance of housing support for the NHS and creating healthy places. Sarah Hordern, Chair of NHS Homes Alliance, highlighted that 68% of Oxford’s NHS workers cited the lack of affordable housing near work as a reason they might leave their job. Given the UK’s growing health crisis, it’s clear that homes in the right locations are vital for safeguarding the NHS and public health sustainability.
Anna Hwang spoke of the role that high-quality BTR developments can play in creating affordable housing for key workers. Long hours and shift patterns make minimising commute times and ensuring reliable property maintenance essential.
The solution? All speakers agree that greater partnership and collaboration across the public and private sectors is vital to minimise the risk for all parties and speed up delivery.
In a separate conversation about creating healthy towns and cities, our client Paul Richards, Chief Executive of Stockport MDC and Director of Development and Regeneration for Stockport City Council, emphasised that “better homes and better jobs extend the life expectancy of an area’s population. That’s what regeneration is all about.”
Leeds City Council’s Angela Barnicle added that bridging the socioeconomic gaps across cities through regeneration is critical.
To achieve this, the industry must listen to communities. Amy Butterworth, CEO of Make It Happen Birkenhead, and Muse’s Phil Marsden, Managing Director – North West, stressed the need for collaborating with trusted third-party voices to bridge communication gaps.
As Paul Richards said, finding partners who understand the community’s voice is more important than ever.
