The Autumn issue of WHQ focuses on two of the current hot topics for housing in Wales: the foundational economy and decarbonisation.
Our lead feature looks at the foundational economy and ways of thinking differently about how we judge what a good economy really looks like it.
As recognised in Welsh Government’s economic action plan, the focus here is not on traditional economic measures like Gross Value Added but on developing the part of the local economy that provides essential goods and services and plays a key role in the life of the community.
Housing was in many ways ahead of the game with the Can Do Toolkits approach to maximising community benefits and training and employment opportunities from the investment generated by stock transfer. Can Do has just celebrated its 10th birthday and, as Keith Edwards and Elin Brock report, there is growing interest in how to develop its potential for other sectors and in continuing the work in housing. .
Coastal Housing Group is one of the housing organisations that is in the vanguard of foundational work and we have an article by Debbie Green on how it is applying the principles in its work in Morriston in Swansea.
We also look more broadly at the impact that foundational thinking is having on social care and at the potential of individual projects.
Our second theme for this issue is decarbonisation as we follow up on the recommendations of the summer’s landmark review that have now been accepted in principle by Welsh Government.
We kick off with an article by Chris Jofeh, chair of the review, putting those recommendations in the context of the fight against climate change and explaining housing’s role in it.
Meanwhile, Ed Green outlines the findings from research into the nature of the Welsh housing stock that informed the review, and Steve Fawkes looks at some examples of best practice from around the world and what it will take to scale up decarbonisation. .
And our regular feature on the Innovative Housing Programme focuses on the Parc Eirin project near Tonyrefail that James Williams argues could be the stepping stone to large-scale delivery of low carbon homes.
The foundational economy and decarbonisation look like being two of the major themes driving the way we think about housing in the next few decades. Put them together and they have the potential to reinforce each other.
With lots of other articles on everything from the Homeless World Cup to the right to housing plus all our regular features, there has never been a better time to subscribe to WHQ. Copies of the printed magazine are about to reach subscribers while all articles will be going online in the next few days.
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