JV North is holding a workshop session to help its housing association members navigate the latest legislation when delivering new properties in the Social and Affordable Homes Programme (SAHP).
Joining the consortium’s 15 housing association members as key contributors next month will be sector specialists Pozzoni Architects, TWC Consulting and Trowers and Hamlins LLP.
Together they will cover a range of marketplace topics including housing standards, Healthy Homes, Future Homes Standards, Heat Network Regulations and for Greater Manchester-based members, Truly Affordable Net Zero homes.
Updates and discussions will also be held on Awaab’s Law ahead of Phase 2 being introduced on 30 November and Building Safety Regulations.
Chair of JV North, John Bowker, said: “Social housing has undergone significant changes in recent years and continues to evolve so workshop sessions like this are invaluable.
“Members can share intelligence, experiences and best practice to work together to find solutions while being supported by sector experts to give technical, legal and practical insight.
“Being able to prepare and map a way forward will put us in a really strong position ahead of the forthcoming introduction of Phase 2 of Awaab’s Law and of course housebuilding, with members accessing funding from the new SAHP as we look to build in the region of 3,000 homes.”
Healthy Homes is intended to be used by Homes England, their development partners and design consultants involved in the funding, planning and design of new homes to support the delivery of healthier places to live.
It can also be used by housing providers, developers and design teams as guidance to inform good practice when building new homes.
Future Homes Standards sees a significant shift in the way new homes are designed and built.
Central to the standard is a requirement for properties to be built with low-carbon technology and higher levels of fabric performance to make them more comfortable and cheaper to run for tenants.
Heat Network Regulations came into force earlier this year to cover the supply of heat and hot water to homes.
Housing associations that operate heat networks are now treated as regulated energy suppliers by Ofgem with tenants having access to the Energy Ombudsman to resolve any disputes.