We must seize this renewed opportunity for regeneration in the north of England

The housing crisis looks different in different places. In many areas of the north of England, housing-led regeneration is needed alongside delivering new homes to drive real change for, and with, local communities.

If we wind the clock back 10 years to the NHC’s Commission for Housing in the North, we find that there were concerns around “persistent low value, obsolete, empty or unfit stock, fuel poverty and about standards at the bottom end of the private rented market”.

The problems we highlighted then haven’t gone away, so I am pleased to see there is now an open and honest conversation happening about the need for regeneration.

Regeneration features in Homes England’s strategic plan – it is high on the agenda of the metro mayors, and it is a hot topic in the housing world, supported by Building’s Regen Connect campaign.

Last year we launched a new inquiry, Renew, supported by Homes for the North and Muse, to explore how housing-led regeneration can deliver growth, help tackle the housing crisis, and strengthen communities across the North. We launched a call for evidence in November to really get under the skin of what housing-led regeneration means for the North.

We are working with our membership of northern housing associations, local authorities and combined authorities, and other stakeholders, to gather data about the scale and geography of the north’s regeneration need.

The call for evidence will help to establish how housing-led regeneration can drive growth and support wider outcomes in health, education and skills. We are exploring how homes in need of investment are impacting individuals and communities, and how this affects pride in place.

Through our research, we are drawing out lessons from the past, looking at what can be achieved in the existing policy environment, and exploring barriers to change.

Later in the year, this data will be supplemented by visits to see what is happening on the ground. We are also planning in-depth research with residents to increase understanding of how regeneration can be done with, rather than to, communities.

The cornerstone of the government’s housing strategy is growth through new supply, with a big role for planning changes alongside investment through the Social and Affordable Homes Programme (SAHP) and the National Housing Bank. This is necessary and welcome, but it doesn’t directly address challenges such as ageing homes and end of life stock; quality issues, particularly in the private rented sector; or viability issues in the North, due to low land values. Nor does it provide a solution for the areas of concentrated deprivation which we see in some parts of the north.

We want to bring the pieces together into a bigger picture and empower NHC members to deliver the change their communities need

However, while the main focus is on supply, the government is taking some action on these issues. Through Renew, we want to bring the pieces together into a bigger picture and empower NHC members to deliver the change their communities need.

Government initiatives that are addressing regeneration include the Pride of Place Programme, which aims to address pockets of deprivation. The NHC has worked closely with the government, including over the Spending Review period. We highlighted the need for flexibility on regeneration in the SAHP, the benefits of more local control through further devolution, and the massive potential of brownfield land in the North (our research found there is capacity for 320,000 new homes on brownfield sites alone).

The government has listened – the SAHP gives social housing providers welcome flexibility to replace homes that no longer meet the needs of communities, including over multiple sites. The Warm Homes Plan and National Housing Delivery Fund and the SAHP all have devolved elements. The National Housing Bank offers some interesting tools to unlock projects which would otherwise be economically unviable, such as brownfield developments.

Although this is a good starting point, I think there is even more that can be done with the right government support. We will use the evidence from Renew to build a case for this. We will take recommendations directly to parliament via our Westminster group. We will also share findings directly with ministers and senior civil servants.

Revitalised neighbourhoods provide opportunities for further development of new homes and are key to hitting government objectives such as increased economic growth

Housing-led regeneration drives new supply through redevelopment and use of existing land and estates. It improves housing quality through refurbishment and retrofit of existing homes and the replacement of homes no longer fit for purpose.

This, alongside investment in communities, can transform neighbourhoods, making them better places to live.

These improvements are essential if we want everyone in the North to have access to a safe, warm and affordable home in a place they are proud of. Revitalised neighbourhoods provide opportunities for further development of new homes and are key to hitting government objectives such as increased economic growth.

Over the past 18 months, firm foundations have been laid to do more to address housing challenges. Now is the time to look at how we can drive things further forward through housing-led regeneration.

Tracy Harrison is chief executive of the Northern Housing Consortium