The new chair of the National Housing Federation has warned that the sector faces a "dogfight" over funding ahead of the 2006 government spending review.
In his first interview since being confirmed as the new chair, Richard Clark, chief executive of Birmingham-based Prime Focus Regeneration Group, said associations needed to "make their arguments for more money stronger than ever".

"The realists expect the next spending review to be much tougher than the last couple. Competition for resources will be more intense, and the NHF has to be ready to take the lead," he added.

NHF chief executive Jim Coulter will be the sector's main champion in debates with government, Clark said, and he hopes to "support [him] in making an impact".

Housing associations enjoyed relative success in the last spending review in 2002. At the time, the NHF estimated that it would bring about £2.5bn to the sector over three years.

Clark, expected to be elected unopposed at the NHF's national council meeting on Thursday, has already set out his priorities. Top of the list is the delivery of the NHF's rebranding programme, which aims to resurrect the image of social housing by increasing associations' involvement with local communities.

"We need to make In Business real for associations and partners, and to deliver so that it means something on the ground," he said. "Good practice is there, but is patchy. Where it is good, the work of associations speaks for itself – it's a matter of pushing high performance everywhere."

Clark, the first Midlands-based chair of the NHF, said he wanted to strengthen the body's regional focus.

"Regional housing boards have meant that associations have more to do to push themselves forward at this level. Regional offices will need to do more to support their members."

Source

Housing Today