TAI 2024: Professionalism, politics and Mark Drakeford

There was much to mull over at TAI 2024, from how the upcoming general election might affect the housing sector in Wales to the increased need for housing professionals to deliver for tenants. Delegates and big-name speakers alike were keen to give their say. 

In the long, colourful tapestry of Welsh housing, professionalism and a commitment to tenants emerge as golden threads weaving through the years. Throughout this history, professionalism has bound together the sector’s many stakeholders through a sense of respect and unwavering commitment. 

Although the same requirements don't apply to Wales as they do in England, professionalism is very much at the forefront of the minds of those who work in Welsh housing, especially given high-profile tragedies such as Grenfell and the death of Awaab Ishak. 

This need to maintain a strong commitment to professionalism was brought home by CIH Cymru national director Matt Dicks as he opened the annual TAI conference in Hensol, near Cardiff. “Other jurisdictions are moving at speed in this space,” he said, “and I’m sure none of us want to be caught napping.” 

It was in this vein that Dicks announced the launch of the CIH Cymru Professional Development Toolkit, which is available for free to CIH members. The toolkit (published in both Welsh and English) has been designed to give housing organisations support and direction on how to invest in their workforce so they can deliver better performance and outcomes for tenants and customers. 

“We hope it will support us all to be the best housing professionals we can be,” said Dicks, unveiling the publication to a packed room of around 200 delegates at the Vale Resort. 

He added: “CIH Cymru takes its role in this approach to supporting the sector to be the best it can be very seriously.” 

The policy backdrop 

TAI 2024 was held amid what appears to be an easing cost of living crisis but a housing crisis that shows no sign of slowing. “Is the dial shifting at the pace and scale it needs to in order to address the housing crisis we face?” Matt Dicks asked during his opening keynote. “Sadly, many statistics say otherwise.” 

It was helpful, then, to hear from Julie James, the secretary for housing, local government, and planning, about what the government is doing to improve the housing landscape in Wales. 

James – who had covered the housing brief as minister for climate change till Vaughan Gething’s reshuffle in March – began her keynote by extoling the importance of continuity, proudly recounting how she has so far “seen off” eight of her Westminster counterparts. 

The secretary proceeded to speak highly of the sector and of the significant role housing plays in people’s lives. “This is not just about four walls and a roof; this is about the continued wellbeing of our citizens and our future citizens,” she said.

James also spoke of the importance of placemaking, as opposed to building new homes simply to meet demand. “It isn’t any home, at any cost here in Wales,” she said. “It’s the right homes, in the right places, for the right people.”

Commenting on whether the government would enshrine the right to adequate housing into law, Julie James said it was a question of "when" not "if"

It was in the detail, however, where it was made clear there is still much more the government needed to do to fix housing’s problems. Commenting on the government’s pledge to build 20,000 new low-carbon social homes, for example, the secretary said the government is hanging onto the target “by the skin of our teeth”. She added: “I am determined to hang onto it.” 

James went on to say that, in reality, Wales needs to deliver “far more” than 20,000 such homes, implying that, if the government was struggling to deliver its current target, it would almost certainly be unable to deliver on anything more ambitious – partly due to the need for a Westminster government that “understands the sector”. 

James was also quizzed on whether the government would enshrine the right to adequate housing into law – something the sector, including CIH Cymru, has long called for. The secretary said the question was not “whether” the government would do so, but “when”. 

However, James was reluctant to assign a timescale, arguing the “sequencing” would be vital. “My fear is that, if we set it now, it will become something we say…it will become a slogan,” she explained. 

James’ keynote and the Q&A that followed covered many other key topics, including an increased shift toward modern methods of construction (MMC) to help meet the housing need in Wales, particularly social housing; and the work the government is doing around the “second-homes tourism problem”, which has seen an growing number of local people in tourist hotspots priced out of their own area. 

Commenting on the Welsh government’s recent budget, the secretary said she was “absolutely chuffed” to have secured an extra £5 million for social housing grant funding (now £370m). 

“It is no small feat at all to protect those [housing] budgets,” she said. 

Engagement, engagement, engagement 

Whether it was on the main stage or the fringe, one topic delegates and speakers alike were keen to broach was tenant engagement. 

In a session on whether current housing management models are meeting the needs of tenants, a proactive debate broke out around whether housing associations should facilitate a specialist or generic housing officer role. A snap survey of the room revealed a rough 50-50 split between specialist and generic, with most who voiced their opinion agreeing that what works for one provider might not work for another. 

It is, however, good to gain the perspective of those from outside the sector, especially if it comes from John Lewis’ former head of customer service, Andrew McMillan, who shared the learnings he’d gained from his many years of working at the renowned retailer and how they could be applied to housing. 

Commenting on the wave of digital transformation taking place to varying degrees across the sector, McMillan agreed that there is a place for it, but the needs of those who aren’t so technically savvy should still be considered. “By all means focus on digital, but don’t leave behind those who aren’t ready for that change,” he said. 

McMillan also spoke of the need to care for employees – not just the end user. “It’s through looking after each other that you drive a great customer experience,” he said. 

Housing at the top? 

TAI 2024 took place in what is likely to be a general election year, and it was against this backdrop that CIH chief executive Gavin Smart urged the sector to speak “in unison” with other jurisdictions to put housing at the top of the political debate. 

Smart went on to urge delegates to capitalise on the government’s current interest in the sector. “This is an opportunity we need to take in every part of the UK,” he said. “This won’t come round again.” 

The looming election was clearly front of mind for Hashi Mohamed, who delivered a moving keynote in which he passionately spoke of the need for more quality housing in the UK. 

Reflecting on the past 14 years of Conservative housing policy, the A Home of One’s Own author said: “I just don’t understand how after 14 years of what we’ve seen, an incoming government can’t say…this is the top priority for us.”

Hashi Mohamed moved delegates to tears as he recounted his traumatic early life

Mohamed said housing is “arguably the most important issue of our time”, adding that, as he sees it, housing should be more of a priority than the NHS, second only to climate change. He pointed out how, in Wales, temporary accommodation spend has risen from £5 million to around £43 million in “just a couple of years”. 

Delegates were later moved to tears as he recounted the “pain” of his early life as a child refugee sent to the UK from Somalia after his father died in a car accident. When he arrived in the UK, he lived in an assortment of low-rent, poor-quality housing, some of it terribly overcrowded. 

It was through these early experiences that Mohamed formed his passionate views on housing. “Having a shelter can save your life, but having a home can allow you to actually live it,” he said. 

Drakeford in the hot-seat 

TAI 2024 opened with a serving senior member of the Welsh government, and it was fittingly closed by former first minister Mark Drakeford. 

Although housing was not the primary focus of Drakeford’s conversation with Matt Dicks – one of his first in public since he stepped down from the top job in March – the former first minister did touch on several areas of housing policy.

Commenting on the Right to Buy in Wales, Drakeford said he was “very proud indeed” to have abolished the policy during his time as first minister. He also spoke of his desire to see the introduction of a land value tax, something he has long advocated for. 

Speaking about housing in the abstract, the former first minister spoke keenly about the importance of home, echoing the sentiment of Julie James on day one of the conference. “I’ve always believed that housing is one of the fundamental things that allow you to lead the life that you want to lead,” he said. 

Homing in on the sector itself, Drakeford told delegates they “start in a better place” than other sectors, as housing “is not so hierarchical”. He also said the sector’s “huge advantage” is its tenants. 

The next 12 months 

Much could change between now and TAI 2025. There could be a new government in Westminster, the cost of living crisis could rebound, and any number of geopolitical events could send energy costs once again soaring. 

While all these factors make it difficult to predict what the state of housing will be in a year’s time, TAI 2024 has made clear that those working in Welsh housing will continue striving to deliver for the sector and their tenants.

That long tapestry of Welsh housing flows ever on.

Main image: CIH Cymru national director Matt Dicks in conversation with former first minister Mark Drakeford