Meeting modern challenges with smart solutions
As the government commits to the most extensive council-house building programme in a generation, Mark Holdsworth, Civica’s sales director, examines the challenges in delivering this ambitious vision.
With £500 million committed to the Affordable Homes Programme in Rachel Reeves’ first budget and then an additional £350 million announced this February, social housing is very much on the government’s agenda.
While this provides cause for optimism, councils must still balance multiple competing demands on their resources. Many already need help with the costs of maintaining and upgrading their existing stock, particularly regarding building safety and energy efficiency improvements.
However, the challenge extends far beyond simply securing construction finance. Creating sustainable communities requires sophisticated financial modelling and asset-management capabilities. The days of merely building homes and collecting rent are long gone; modern social housing demands active management of both assets and tenant relationships.
Technology sits at the heart of this challenge. During recent visits to forward-thinking housing providers, I’ve witnessed at first-hand how digital transformation can revolutionise service delivery.
Technology to transform asset management
Modern housing management requires sophisticated asset management systems that predict maintenance needs before they become problems. It needs integrated tenant communication platforms that can handle everything from repair requests to community engagement. Compliance monitoring tools must track multiple regulatory requirements simultaneously.
The environmental challenge adds another layer of complexity. New council homes must meet ambitious sustainability targets, requiring environmental performance tracking from day one. Yet many councils still operate with legacy systems designed for a different era. The gap between current capabilities and future needs often seems daunting. But this gulf can be bridged with the proper support and expertise. Ultimately, collaboration is paramount.
Housing providers have spent years developing the infrastructure and expertise needed to manage modern social housing effectively. Their experience offers valuable lessons for councils returning to development. The most crucial learning? Everything must work together.
Property management, tenant communication, maintenance scheduling and financial management can’t operate in silos. Integration isn’t just desirable; it’s essential for efficient service delivery and regulatory compliance.
Any discussion of council housing must address the right to buy (RTB). The policy has been a central driver of social mobility, helping many families build inter-generational wealth. One could argue that it has fulfilled its purpose of creating opportunities for social housing tenants to step onto the property ladder and generate wealth they can pass on to the next generation.
It also presents significant challenges for councils planning new developments. While the current government reviews RTB discounts, the policy remains in place. This uncertainty affects both financial planning and system requirements. Councils need technology to handle the complexity of mixed tenure management and potential tenure changes while tracking the complex financial implications of sales and reinvestment.
Smart from the start
Modern council housing isn’t just about providing affordable homes; it’s about creating sustainable communities that meet environmental standards while remaining viable to maintain. Achieving this requires a fundamental rethink of how we approach social housing development.
Smart technology can no longer be an afterthought. Internet of things (IoT) sensors for monitoring building performance, integrated communications systems for tenant engagement and sophisticated maintenance tracking must be built in from the start. These aren’t optional extras; they are essential components of modern social housing which help control costs and improve services over the long term.
Arguably, the biggest challenge isn’t technological or financial, it’s human. Many councils have lost the in-house expertise needed to manage large-scale housing development and operations. Rebuilding this capability while simultaneously delivering new homes requires careful consideration.
The solution is likely to be in partnerships with technology providers supplying the necessary systems and expertise and housing providers with maintained development capabilities. Success will require councils to be honest about their capabilities and open to learning from others.
The push for new council housing comes as the sector faces unprecedented sustainability challenges. New homes have to be built to high environmental standards but they must also be sustainable in terms of ongoing maintenance and management costs.
It’s not an easy task but to make it happen, one has to think beyond traditional approaches. Modern construction methods can help deliver more energy-efficient homes faster. Smart-building technologies can reduce maintenance costs and improve environmental performance. Implementing these solutions, though, requires significant upfront investment in both technologies and skills.
Meeting great expectations
Today’s tenants expect responsive, accessible services delivered through multiple channels. Meeting these expectations while managing costs requires sophisticated CRM systems and automated processes. Many councils already have such systems but aren’t using them to their full potential, mainly because they are in the dark about all of the functions and haven’t been adequately educated to use them. The key is ensuring technology is integrated correctly into service delivery processes and that staff are trained to use it effectively.
The return of large-scale council housing development represents both an opportunity and a challenge. Success requires more than funding and political will; it demands a complete rethinking of how councils approach housing delivery and management. A leadership-led mindset change is vital to improve digital skills and enable human-centric design and delivery.
Clearly, technology will be crucial but it must be implemented thoughtfully and strategically. Councils need partners who understand both the technical requirements and the unique challenges of social housing delivery. They need systems that can grow and adapt as their housing operations expand.
Most importantly, they must approach this challenge with a clear vision of modern council housing – affordable homes and sustainable communities supported by efficient services and engaging modern technology.
The opportunity is there. With the proper preparation, support and partnerships, councils can once again become major providers of high-quality social housing. The key is to learn from the past while building for the future.
Mark Holdsworth is the sales director at Civica.
