Homes England Announces Information Hub to Support Housing Sector
Homes England has announced a new national index of professional housing resources. How will this new information hub help the housing sector meet the current housing demand?
The Housing Information Hub will support the sector by providing direct access to over 300 sources of guidance, information, and tools relating to homebuilding, placemaking, and regeneration.
It is designed to be a one-stop-shop for local authorities
Developed by Homes England’s Local Government Capacity Centre, the Housing Information Hub is one of a series of new initiatives designed in collaboration with local authorities and other partners to respond to the needs and asks of the housing sector.
With the aim to cover the full housing and delivery journey, resources are split into five key areas. These are financing, leading, building, using land, and planning.
Mike Palin, Executive Director, Markets, Partners and Places, Homes England, explained that the Hub will help the housing industry to meet its current housing demand: “The Housing Information Hub is an excellent route map and “one-stop-shop” for advice and guidance for local authorities, developers, other professionals and individuals wanting to deliver quality places.”
Continuing, Mike added that he believes that the Hub will be beneficial for everyone in the housing sector: “In my local government career, including roles as CEO, I know that the Housing Information Hub would have transformed my ability to support the delivery of housing and regeneration.”
I look forward to sharing this resource to support authorities, their partners and other stakeholders.
The Hub aims to amplify regeneration in local communities
When looking for guidance for financing homebuilding and regeneration, local authorities and other housing providers will find information on economic appraisals, financial viability, cost estimation, funding, delivery mechanisms, the Delivery Partner Dynamic Purchasing System, and procurement.
They will also find information on community engagement, governance, programme and project management, and resources and risk management.
If the housing provider wants to discover more about how to build healthy places, they can find information via the Housing Information Hub on design, infrastructure, construction management, MMC, and self and custom-build.
For using land for homebuilding and regeneration, they will find information on identifying land, land acquisition, brownfield land, land disposal, due diligence, feasibility, and partnership working.
In addition to this, they will be provided with information on master planning, local planning, planning conditions, environment and sustainability, garden towns and villages, estate regeneration, and housing tenures.
By providing this information, the Hub is aiming to amplify regeneration for local communities and ensure that creating plans to provide safe and good-quality housing for those who need it the most is easier.
