Matt Kennedy reflects on his return to housing in his new role as policy and public affairs manager at CIH Cymru.
Returning to the housing sector has felt a lot like coming home (apologies for the pun). It’s fair to say I’m no veteran of the sector; I haven’t done or seen it all. But there’s no doubt the sector, even over a short space of time has a way of getting under your skin (in the best way possible). For me, not only has this been nurtured by observing and supporting policy making at a national level but perhaps more so, seeing the human face of services in action, working with people to deliver the bread and butter of housing services but also delivering innovative life changing solutions.
My background is a mix of housing, care and health. Working at Community Housing Cymru provided me with great opportunities to work on the policy agenda around homelessness, Supporting People and linkages with health. Some time spent seconded to the Welsh NHS Confederation placed me at the sharp end of policy where the need to inform on something new was often an hourly task.
My previous role with Macmillan Cancer Support saw me work closely with people affected by cancer, utilising their expertise and experience to inform the organisations influencing activity. Needless to say, that bringing this experience to the fore of activities was one of the most rewarding experiences of my career to date.
Aside from being a completely different sector, my time at Macmillan never felt too alien. With discussion often being centred on, for example, benefits, information and advice services or supporting people to maintain or regain their independence. All these elements echo strongly in the work undertaken by our housing professionals.
Having been away from housing for almost two years it’s no surprise to find that on returning, the ‘housing hustle’ is as vibrant as ever. Whilst things have moved on considerably in key policy areas the challenges feel as considerable as ever.
The Supporting People programme is a programme close to my heart having worked in frontline services and supported along with many others its transition in to its current structure. It continues to be firmly on the agenda. I look forward to working with colleagues in understanding how CIH can contribute to the campaign to protect such preventative budgets going forward.
With that the key challenges are: housing supply, the LHA cap, welfare reform, implications of Brexit, future of WHQS (and broader development standards), devolution of land tax powers, reclassification of housing associations, local authority reorganisation, an ageing population, community cohesion, legislative changes (both consequences of previous acts and implications of what’s to come). To put it briefly, it’s enough to put anyone’s head in a slight spin.
I’ve enjoyed immersing myself in the nuts and bolts of some of these challenges during my earliest days in the new post. This has included responding to the Welsh Assembly Equality, Local Government and Communities committee on the priorities highlighting the need to ensure housing remains high on the political agenda. It has also involved getting out to engagement events on the future of frontline advice services and the implications of devolving attendance allowance to Wales.
Part of CIH’s draw is its national presence. A recent trip to Scotland provided a timely opportunity to gain a grasp of the challenges faced by the government there as it carves out a plan for a Scottish social security system to take forward its new powers. Learning from such approaches in combination with both local and international examples of practice is hugely important.
Within CIH Cymru, from day one, the focus of the organisation on continuing and enhancing education for members to meet some of the challenges outlined above has been clear to see. A highlight of my first week was being involved in a TAI 2017 planning session. The team is brimming with ideas, which will no doubt make next year’s conference unmissable.
More specifically, in policy and public affairs as I find my feet, I’m keen to ensure members have timely opportunities to inform legislation, challenge the status quo and highlight the breadth and value the work undertaken within Welsh communities. The fifth term of the Assembly is set to be quite a different one if the start is anything to go by. CIH along with the strong cohort of housing influencers in Wales have a vital role to play in ensuring evidenced-based policy making is not hindered by the day to day to politics.
Matt Kennedy is policy and public affairs manager of CIH Cymru