“The New Homes in New Ways exhibition is an important opportunity to tell the story of how Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) has the potential to help address the UK’s severe shortfall of social rent homes and Temporary Accommodation crisis. I hope that this exhibition acts as a provocation to all of us, to recognise that we need a step change, and that we are collectively responsible for that change.” - Jez Sweetland, Project Director, Housing Festival

Work to turn a council-owned disused garage plot in Bristol into affordable housing thanks to the innovative Gap House concept has reached its final stage of construction.

Jez’s speech at the launch of the New Homes in New Ways exhibition: Mixed emotions for me tonight. It's great to be here, it feels like a party. It's great to be amongst friends and yet, I'm also quite angry. You know, it's hard to be celebrating a story together that actually looks like systemic failure.

Four weeks ago, we were delighted to join a delegation visiting three pioneering new Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) sites in Bristol. As another UK first, we were thrilled to see these homes becoming a reality, and they will soon provide high-quality, low-carbon homes for people in Bristol. 

The first component of the ecosystem solution is building homes in a new way. This will require incubating a new supply chain of factory-manufactured (MMC) homes.

The first component of the ecosystem solution is building homes in a new way. This will require incubating a new supply chain of factory-manufactured (MMC) homes.

The construction industry faces a number of challenges, many associated with the cyclical, volatile and fragmented project-based approach adopted in response to the commercial environment. Global engineering, management and development consulting firm Mott MacDonald outline the case for change in construction, and why building homes in a new way is key.

If we are to truly transform housing delivery, we must look beyond technical solutions and embrace the broader industrialisation of the sector. Here, Ron Lang, Regional Director of AtkinsRéalis, unpacks what industrialisation means for housebuilding, the opportunities and benefits it offers and the critical role of local authorities and housing associations in helping unlock transformation of the sector.

Goscombe is a profit-with-purpose business deeply committed to building homes for good. They have their own MMC manufacturing facilities and a business model intent on balancing meaningful investment in social purpose and fair investor returns. As well as offering homes for sale to housing associations and local authorities they have developed a long-term leasing model for MMC homes.

Under Bristol’s ‘One City’ approach, University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust (UBHW) partnered with Bristol City Council (BCC) to provide 18 flats for use as Temporary Accommodation.

A three-way partnership between Resonance (Social Impact Property Fund Manager), Bristol City Council (Investor) & Developing Health & Independence (Housing Partner), is delivering 34 one-bed flats, and wrap around support, for people who had been sleeping rough/experiencing homelessness.

Innovative technology is helping local authorities to find, appraise and acquire homes to reduce homelessness. For example, Hastings are using SimplyPhi’s search technology and project management platform to find, acquire and retrofit 60 homes, as part of their ongoing Housing Programme for Rough Sleepers and Temporary Accommodation.

The ecosystem solution outlined in the Social Rent Housing at Pace Playbook is primarily focused on new build, because building social rent homes is the best way to eliminate the structural deficit in the long-term as it increases the net supply of homes. But is new build the only (or best) option to increase housing stock?’

We need to build 90,000 social rent homes a year in England to address the chronic shortage across the country and alleviate decades of undersupply. Instead, in 2021/22 the new homes built were outpaced by the demolition and sale of social housing stock . In effect, we’ve turned the tap of social rent homes down to a trickle, having also taken out the plug. This has led to a structural deficit in UK social rent housing.