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We cannot redo the past, but we can learn from it
Kate Davies, managing director of Buena, reflects on her learnings from her time as chief executive of Notting Hill Genesis and goes through what she would do differently today
I worked in social housing for over 30 years, both for councils and housing associations. When I left my job last year as chief executive of Notting Hill Genesis, I went off to learn Spanish in Barcelona.
Looking back at my career in housing, I thought about what I had achieved and, more importantly, what I had not. Failures are so much more revealing than bragging about what amazing things we delivered, don’t you think?
My failures, of which there are frankly too many to mention, include repairs, technology and resident satisfaction. The foundations of an impressive list.
Today, with the benefit of hindsight, and time to reflect in the Catalonian sunshine, I asked myself what I would do differently if I had my time again.
Assuming I could start now, I would first address the clear division inside housing associations between the tenant-facing teams and the people focused on the needs of the homes. This division of labour is disastrous. Naturally, tenants are concerned, first and foremost, with their homes.
We need to find ways to get staff together in one team that focuses on resident in place and homes where people live. We need to create a united workforce that understands that ‘tenant management’ and ‘property management’ may be professional distinctions, but they are not human distinctions. Fundamentally, we need to reintroduce a much deeper concept of home into our organisations.
“Let’s be honest about the scale of the problem and share our concerns with each other and the politicians”
Second, I would want technology to support this organisational and cultural change. Every interaction with residents must be informed by the full range of information and data we have on where they live. Currently, quality asset management data and even accurate, real-time repairs information is inaccessible. Consequently, responses to tenant requests frequently misfire, causing inconvenience, disappointment and anger.
Remedying this needs to be a priority, using the help of AI to get up-to-date, manageable property information into the hands of teams interacting with customers. When you compare what housing associations know about their assets to what they could know, it becomes clear we have to urgently fix the data issue. We must aspire to using reliable, real-time data.
Third, (and this is a big one) we have a problem with the condition of homes in the UK. Inadequate investment, due to deep and lasting government cuts over decades, plus our own prioritisation of growth over regrowth, have led to a backlog of works and increasingly decrepit homes. With one in four social tenants expressing dissatisfaction with their home, we have a mountain to climb just to stand still.
Are all our homes safe? Are they energy efficient and comfortable? Do they have everything a new resident needs? Despite high compliance with Decent Home Standard requirements, we all know we have many homes that do not pass today’s expectations in terms of their standard of facilities, repair and quality fittings.
We need a much higher ‘lettable’ standard of homes. In short, we need significant investment, and the sector should make sure the government knows this. Investing in existing homes is part of this country’s infrastructure that has been languishing in the uncut grass.
“When you compare what housing associations know about their assets to what they could know, it becomes clear we have to urgently fix the data issue”
Let’s quantify the bill to get our residents’ homes improved. With an investment in data, this would become possible. Let’s be honest about the scale of the problem and share our concerns with each other and the politicians.
My experience of neglecting homes, tenant voices and technology has become painfully obvious to me. I take responsibility for my part. I would love the sector to join me in reflection and collaborate to address these topics together, with renewed vigour and a willingness to learn. I know I should and could have done better. My only excuse, and it’s true, is that seeing the wood is hard when the trees need constant attention.
I have recently published a short white paper that covers these points in more depth, touching on other factors: the whims of politicians, the cuts in investment, the need for regulation, the lack of sufficient expertise, a poor offering from technology companies and a reluctance to be honest with each other.
I agree with the Housing Ombudsman that a ‘root and branch’ look at the sector is overdue. It must encompass stock investment and promote technology. We need accurate, open, standardised data if we are going to start winning.
Today our sector contains some seriously, diverse, youthful talent – people with technology and technical qualifications and skills. Some of whom are no doubt just getting started in this vital sector, which I believe is ready for real and lasting change.
As I’ve learned: the best time to start was 20 years ago. The next best time is now.
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