4 Industry News


Managing Editor James Parker


Publisher Anthony Parker


Account Director Midge Myatt


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Production Assistant Georgia Musson


Digital Production Coordinator Kim Musson


Feature Coordinator & Publisher’s Assistant Kim Neville


Finance Director Simon Reed


Hello and welcome to your bi-monthly round up of the key issues and innovations for professionals managing social housing portfolios. We aim to cover the major issues they face – but also the solutions – which is why we picked arguably their most critical current issue to home in on for HMM’s recent inaugural live industry round table.


We have run several in-depth, sponsored ‘Building Insights LIVE’ discussions for the other construction sector titles we publish, but this is the fi rst time we have gathered a group of delegates together from the social housing sphere. And we chose the upcoming Social Housing (Regulation) Act, including Awaab’s Law which is due this October, as the subject for this important discussion.


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Excellently chaired by the forthright Matt Baird (of Spring Housing Association, and who also runs his own social housing specialist recruitment agency), the round table focused on the possible solutions for Healthy Homes, as much as the problems. T e inescapable legacy of Awaab Ishak’s death in 2020 hung over the event, truly a tragic episode and one that arguably had a similar impact to Grenfell in this sphere. It brought a new level of focus to the importance of addressing poor air quality in social homes, and how cultural sensitivities may sometimes need to be carefully balanced with the need to urgently address problems in buildings and with tenants.


As we report in this issue (on page 15), the round table heard how real-time updates on properties’ condition could be, and should be provided, using IT and possibly even AI to help, including ‘Internet of T ings’ methodologies. However, advanced approaches such as ‘digital twin’ 3D digital models of homes – the ultimate in real- time monitoring, diagnosis and possibly treatment, are going to be out of reach for most authorities’ budgets.


More relevant now is educating both workforces and tenants on the realities of damp and mould, and best practice on how they need to be controlled, if not eradicated.


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On the cover...


The rental sector is undergoing rapid transformation, driven by legislative reform, rising tenant demand, and growing corporate investment. Andy Jones of Leaders Romans Group explores the challenges and opportunities ahead. See page 06.


HMM_0405_2025 Covers.indd 1 Housing Management & Maintenance April/May 2025 APRIL/MAY 2025 HOUSING MANAGEMENT & MAINTENANCE Editor’s Comment


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