Features

Deck the halls

Behind the debates and policy shaping discussions, CIH’s annual gathering also brings together contractors, suppliers, housing providers and support organisations to share their knowledge and information, and peddle their wares in the exhibition halls

Shaping the future

The annual CIH Conference and Exhibition in Harrogate has always given the social housing sector plenty of food for thought but this year organisers are hoping to make much more of a meal out of the seminars and sessions and use the contributions of attendees to create a Housing Pact – a shared statement of priorities for housing. Michelle Mckenna takes a look at the programme

Working on trust

The growth and success that TrustWorks has earned over the last couple of years is not only a neat feather in the cap for its parent RSL Chester & District Housing Trust (CDHT) but also a nice little earner for the organisation.

On the road to success

The journey from zero stars to a high-performing two star organisation is filled with obstacles but South Liverpool Housing Group (SLH) has managed to successfully negotiate this rocky road with chief executive Julie Fadden at the wheel

What price justice?

Legal Aid turned 60 last year and some say it is no longer up to the job of ensuring legal representation is there for those who otherwise can’t afford it. The issue is a fundamental one – access to justice – prompting the Law Society to call for a debate to find a way to save it

Law of the landlords

The emergence of joint procurement processes for legal services, along with the sharing of legal panels by social landlords, suggests that law firms looking to work with the sector face the prospect of their industry undergoing the trials of consolidation. Mark Cantrell reports

A product for all seasons

Total Glass, the award-winning PVCu and aluminium specialist, announced a number of exciting new product launches for 2010, all manufactured from its modern purpose built 100,000 sq ft production complex at Knowsley in Liverpool

Crowded house warning

There are already record numbers of people on housing waiting lists in England but despite the social housing sector’s efforts to develop more new homes, things are only going to get worse according to the National Housing Federation (NHF)

We’re out of your league, says LGA

Shelter has accused councils of failing to deliver enough affordable homes, duly prompting a sharp
response from the Local Government Association (LGA). Northern Housing reports

AT HOME WITH...Professor Li Shirong

Professor Li’s CV is impressive to say the least with her work spanning academia, industry and government, even more impressive when you consider that she left school during the Cultural Revolution.