Social Housing Tenants’ Climate Jury Webinar Series to Launch Next Month

In November 2020, the Social Housing Tenants’ Climate Jury launched its report and recommendations to the sector; their views, as social housing tenants, as to how tenants, social landlords, and other place-based organisations can work together to tackle climate change in our homes and neighbourhoods.

As part of its commitment to promote and advance the Jury’s work, the Northern Housing Consortium has arranged the Social Housing Tenants’ Climate Jury webinar series. Across five thematic webinars the series is designed to build on the Tenants’ Climate Jury project, exploring the recommendations and beginning a conversation within the NHC membership as to how the Tenants’ Jury’s views, concerns, and ambitions can be incorporated into our work to ready homes and communities for a Net Zero future.

The series launches in February with the webinar Retrofit Standards & Accreditation. As part of the Jury discussions were held with residents who had lived experience of their home being retrofitted. Both positive and negative experiences were heard about the quality of their experience and the Jury came away with a desire to see the sector ‘get it right first time’ – to both preserve a positive customer experience and ensure the retrofit itself is sustainable in the long run.

The Tenants’ Climate Jury project is delighted to welcome back Professor Anne Power, Emeritus Professor of Social Policy and Head of LSE Housing and Communities, who will give a keynote address as part of the first session. Professor Power previously gave ‘evidence’ to the Jury as an expert commentator discussing the agency of tenants in retrofit and regeneration projects.

Here, Professor Power will discuss her work with a particular focus on the findings of the LSE report Retrofit to the Rescue: A social impact evaluation of one of the most ambitious retrofit projects of it’s kind; the largest social housing block to have been refurbished to the EnerPHiT standard with close engagement with residents who remained in their properties throughout.

Over the coming weeks, the webinar series will discuss the key themes the Jury highlighted; the creation of a ‘resident-centric retrofit journey’, expanding climate knowledge within the sector for both tenants and officers, making retrofit one part of a holistic approach to neighbourhood renewal, and being upfront on costs and protecting residents through the energy transition.

For further details on all sessions, and to confirm your attendance, please visit MyNHC.