Issue: 61 | September 2022

Welcome to this latest edition of CT Brief. As ever, we bring you an eclectic mix of subjects, focusing on some of the major issues of the day. First is an inspiring interview with Lara Oyedele, the next President of the Chartered Institute of Housing, and almost certainly the first holder of that office to have experienced street homelessness.

That sets off the important themes of diversity and inclusion, which run through many of the articles. The contribution from Simon Fanshawe focuses specifically on diversity, with some timely but difficult questions for leadership cadres. Has your organisation adopted the ‘blah blah blah’ approach to diversity? Surely not! We hear too from Jill Haley, just elected as Vice-President of the CIH, with her thoughts about hate crime as an enemy of inclusion, and from Terry Fuller on the often overlooked area of class-based discrimination.

Other pressing challenges are featured here too, highlighting Limerick’s work to tackle climate change through regeneration, decarbonisation across London, and what levelling-up could mean in South West England. Decarbonisation and building safety are mission-critical, but funding is thin on the ground – can for-profit housing providers provide part of the answer to housing demand?

What we’ve not covered, because anything written will be out of date by the time it reaches you, is the pending (and perhaps dreaded) news on the expected rent settlement. With tenants falling into poverty and hunger, energy prices spiralling, inflation into double figures and a major hiatus in government, these are becoming the most difficult of times.

We all now face being tested to the extreme, and beyond. Only optimism will see us through.