Achieving long term quality has always been important for councils and Housing Associations, who retain their homes for centuries. But all too often, short term priorities can dominate for these clients, leaving ‘quality’ as a poor relation to housing numbers and speed. The Delivering Quality Homes Handbook (recently published by the Mayor of London) prompts organisations to reflect on their current performance in managing quality across 50 criteria. These criteria are organised into four key themes: Culture and People, Briefs and Standards, Procurement and Stewardship. 

 

The first theme is critical to success. Housing clients need to show strong leadership, recruit design-skilled staff, visit exemplar schemes, and reward high quality results. Securing a long-term budget is key to the second theme, as well as setting clear and ambitious standards, and writing confident project briefs. Quality homes require a thoughtful, creative and efficient design team - appointed all the way through - and a quality-focused contractor. The third theme of procurement sets out how these partners can be found and appointed in non-bureaucratic ways. And finally, quality needs to be stewarded doggedly from start to finish, with ‘red lines’ set and policed with care and intelligence.

 

Eight ‘case study clients’ from across England have been interviewed for the handbook, and their good practice in delivering high quality homes showcased. Case studies include housing clients from both higher and lower value areas, such as Camden and South Yorkshire, and larger and smaller organisations, such as Enfield Council and Phoenix Community Housing.

 

The handbook Is being piloted over the next two years by four housing providers, who will be choosing and improving up to 10 of the criteria. If the pilot is successful, the handbook will be linked contractually to the Mayor’s future new build homes funding programmes.