Showcasing Real Homes, Real Change in parliament

Last week we launched our Real Homes, Real Change showcase at a reception in the House of Commons. We were joined by MPs, Peers, government officials, housing professionals and other key stakeholders. Real Homes, Real Change is a collection of case studies which highlights some of the brilliant work you, our members, are doing in the North to deliver green upgrades to existing homes – making them warmer, cheaper to heat and helping to meet the net zero challenge.

Ian Mearns MP, Chair APPG for Housing in the North provided a welcome address which was followed by speeches from Tracy Harrison, CEO, NHC to launch the Real Homes, Real Change showcase, Selvin Brown MBE, Department for Energy Security & Net Zero updated attendees on net zero and housing and finally we welcomed Terry Tasker, tenant and member of the NHC’s Social Housing Tenants’ Climate Jury who provided a resident’s perspective.

With the North’s social housing sector managing more than 1 in 6 of the region’s homes, we’re making the case that investment from the government’s Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF) has helped landlords make their investments go further. But we are concerned that the momentum we’ve built is at risk without fresh funding commitments. The NHC is calling on both the government and opposition parties to commit to a £6bn a year investment in home energy efficiency across all tenures in the next Parliament – so we can deliver real change to more homes across the North.

At the event Tracy Harrison, NHC Chief executive said: “We’re here today in the House of Commons to call on all political parties to make a commitment to an ambitious programme of green home upgrades. We need to see at least £6bn a year across all tenures so that we can really commit to making real change to real homes and get our northern homes on the path to Net Zero.

GET INVOLVED: The Northern Housing Consortium is adding more Northern projects to its Real Homes, Real Change showcase, and speaking to politicians of all parties to make the case for further investment over the coming months. Contact Josef Bews to send us your organisation’s case study.

Register for our Real Homes, Real Change – Net Zero NHC Member’s showcase Webinar on the 14th of September and hear more about the work the NHC has been doing to support members in meeting the Net Zero challenge and the work of our members in reducing carbon emissions and improving housing quality.