The funds are in – our focus now turns to ensuring quality of delivery
- Focus for everyone involved in Warms Homes Social Housing Fund Wave 3 must now be on the quality of delivery of retrofit programmes
- The sector should use learnings from previous funding Waves to help scale up delivery
- CHIC recommends delivery teams seek asset management and procurement support to provide additional economic benefits
The excitement of the announcement of the successful programmes under the Warm Homes Social Housing Fund Wave 3 has passed, now it gets real with the delivery of the largest wave of funding the sector has seen to date for retrofit activity.
Here at CHIC, we are delighted that around 90% of our members were successful in securing funding. We will be working closely with these members as the focus shifts to delivering high quality, energy efficient homes that will reduce carbon emissions and enhance the quality of life for residents.
It is never easy to deliver such complex programmes, there are a lot of moving constituent parts and of course as part of this funding programme there is a time limit to delivery. What needs to happen is that we all need to learn from what happened in previous waves, both the successes and perhaps more importantly what didn’t work so well to inform our approach this time.
Wave 3 is a big step up, both in financial value and the number of homes that will be included. That requires a step change in the scale and pace of delivery. What we can’t afford to do in the pursuit of more though is lose sight that delivery must be centred on quality. We want to be doing this once, and once only. Not just from a cost perspective but also from the view of the resident to mitigate any disruption and to enhance and improve their living experience through the delivery of a warm, comfortable, healthier and more sustainable home.
Landlords, contractors and project teams therefore need to maximise all resources available to them. Cost is always going to be crucial factor. Nobody is denying that retrofit is an expensive exercise and therefore the importance of procurement in such retrofit programmes and the construction of a strategic approach cannot be overstated. The decisions made during the procurement process of the programme influence not only the immediate outcome but also the long-term environmental impact. From the initial identification of needs, to the sourcing of materials and services, every step in the procurement lifecycle has the potential to contribute and enhance sustainability.
But the impact also extends beyond the construction phase. Procurement activities stretch further and influence areas such as transportation logistics, energy use, raw material consumption and waste generation. With strategic procurement, it is possible to mitigate these impacts, paving the way for housing solutions that align with national decarbonisation targets.
For example, our Healthy Homes Framework integrates goods, works and services into one solution, by simplifying everything from surveying and design to implementation and long-term performance measurement. It offers case by case procurement, allowing projects to be tailored to meet the specific needs of each housing provider, enabling bespoke, value engineered solutions that go beyond traditional schedules of rates. Given the volume of building designs and construction types that will be involved in Wave 3, this is a flexibility that will be required.
We believe it is important to have that procurement conversation early as part of your Wave 3 delivery plan. As we guided on the first two waves, the planning process for successful project delivery is so important. The stakes are higher this time with Wave 3 because of its scale and value so it is more important than ever before. Quality needs to be at the heart of everything we do in this process. The price and prize is so important. It needs to be delivered in partnership. There is so much knowledge in the sector we must recognise it and use it to maximise mutual benefit.
The funding is the first step. Focused partnerships have to bring these projects to life and ensure their long-term success. This will require flexibility and compliance to make the most of this funding, delivering high quality homes for residents and supporting carbon reduction efforts. We stand ready to share our asset management expertise and practical procurement support to help make this the most successful wave yet and lay a further cornerstone for the sector to decarbonise its housing stock improve the lives of its residents and contribute positively to the country’s national climate targets.
Luke Hurd, Chief Operating Officer, CHIC
