Housing LIN attends Housing 2024 in Manchester!
What an incredibly valuable few days at Housing 2024 in Manchester this week! From presenting and chairing to networking and hosting roundtables, we were proud to be a Housing 2024 partner. Here's a snippet of our activities...
Day 1 Highlights:
Jeremy Porteus, CEO of Housing LIN, spoke on 'Specialist housing: designing homes that generations thrive in', focusing on the long-term benefits of designing supportive homes and communities in the Future of Living Theatre. In a session chaired by Charlotte Cook (Partner, Winckworth Sherwood), he was joined by Kate Franklin (CEO, Gateway Housing Trust), Owen Jarvis (CEO, UK Cohousing Network), and Alex Ely (Founding Director, Mae Architects). Alex referenced an excellent example, RIBA’s Stirling prize winning development and recent Housing LIN Case Study, the John Morden Centre.
Jeremy also presented at PfH Live in Manchester Central. In a session entitled, 'Improving Health through housing', he addressed national policies and how future governments can 'Make Integration Work', in particular, drawing attention to the Healthy Homes Pledge.
Ian Copeman, Housing LIN's Business Director, discussed the importance of repurposing and regenerating spaces to create healthy new homes, highlighting Housing LIN’s work as Secretariat to the APPG on Housing and Care for Older People Inquiry on regenerating outdated sheltered housing and the forthcoming launch. He was accompanied by Henrietta Blackmore (National Director, Habitat for Humanity GB) and Jenni Buterchi (Partner, PRP), highlighting the challenges and opportunities in sheltered housing regeneration.
Day 2 Highlights:
Jeremy chaired a morning Future of Housing session organised by the TSA on housing's role in enabling individuals to live comfortably and securely. The panel, including Nathan Downing (TSA’s Director of Membership and Consultancy Services), Debra Edwards (Resident and TAPPI Co-production Champion), and Fiona Brown (Associate, Northeast Health and Care Partnerships and ADASS), explored integrating technology-enabled care (TEC) into housing. You can read Debra's personal story on technology and housing on our dedicated TAPPI Project webpage.
That afternoon, we hosted an invite-only roundtable with Pozzoni Architecture on designing housing for the ageing population, featuring Dr. Mark Hammond from the Manchester School of Architecture, who shared his research on age-inclusive environments. Read on in his blog, Creating Age-Friendly Developments.
Day 3 Highlights:
In a second roundtable, we collaborated with Invisible Creations and ProCare Ltd to discuss mainstreaming adaptations, design, and interiors for inclusive living. Professor Vikki McCall from the University of Stirling presented her research on inclusive environments for ageing better and introduced the Inclusive Living Alliance, as part of the ISPA Project.
It was wonderful to catch up with both new and familiar faces in Manchester, sharing valuable insights and learnings from the older people's housing sector. And with a general election ahead, we also referenced the Housing & Ageing Alliance’s manifesto and its 15 point plan of action on housing and the ageing population for an incoming government. The subsequent exchange of ideas and experiences amongst network members and partners was truly inspiring, fostering a sense of community and progress within the sector.
If you missed out and would like to get involved in our variety of online and in-person events, check out our upcoming HAPPI Hour webinars and events here.