The chief executive of a major housing association has denounced the Housing Corporation’s “operating cost index” as misleading and called for housing associations to cooperate more to meet efficiency targets.
Speaking at the London Housing Federation’s Finance Conference on Wednesday, Donald Hoodless, chief executive of Circle 33 Housing Trust, abandoned his given subject of efficiency in the National Health Service, to call for housing associations to work closer together.
He said that housing associations could save money by standardising systems and services, such as financial software and management services, across the sector.
“The government says that efficiency isn’t about cutting costs, but I don’t think that’s true,” he said. “We need to find a forum for cooperation, which will help cut back on unnecessary expenditure as local authorities have already demonstrated, otherwise we won’t satisfy outside efficiency demands.
“Group structures and mergers are not the only way.”
Source
Housing Today
