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Published in: Thought leadership

Putting residents first: insights from the Yorkshire Housing Conference

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Attending the first-ever Yorkshire Housing Conference gave me a chance to connect with housing professionals from across the region and hear about recent activity from sector suppliers and landlords.

Retrofit: pitfalls and prosperity

The main theme for the inaugural conference was retrofit, sustainability and regeneration. Adam Masters, Assistant Director of Environment and Sustainability at Stonewater, spoke about the importance of ensuring customers are at the heart of planned works. He highlighted ongoing sector challenges, including shifting funding, changing targets and the importance of securing resident support. But his message was clear: if landlords prioritise doing the right thing for residents and ensure financial viability, projects have a far better chance of succeeding.

Resident engagement

Speakers consistently stressed the value of early, honest engagement. Beyond Housing shared a compelling video case study showing how strong relationships between contractors, landlords and residents can drive successful regeneration. Where resistance remains, delegates were encouraged to undertake work during void turnarounds to minimise disruption.

Smart technology

Yorkshire Housing outlined how its sustainability teams use smart technology and customer profiling to understand appetite for improvements. Lucy Allis and Emma Norfolk explained how data is helping teams anticipate and resolve post‑retrofit issues, supported by dedicated sustainability liaison officers for harder‑to‑reach households. The organisation also demonstrated how environmental monitoring flags unusual energy use, offering early insights into fuel poverty or residents struggling to adapt to new systems.

Awaab’s Law

The afternoon focused on the sector’s response to Awaab’s Law, with contributions from Kirklees Council, Incommunities and EnviroVent. Panellists emphasised the need to understand the pressures shaping residents’ daily lives. Advice to heat and ventilate homes is often unrealistic when people cannot afford to do so or when opening windows during winter makes homes unbearably cold. Housing organisations must look deeper into these issues and consider how they can provide meaningful support.

Looking ahead, it was refreshing to see a major housing event rooted in Yorkshire. With UK REiiF moving to Leeds in 2022 and continuing to grow in the region, the North is clearly driving progress and innovation. Based in Leeds myself, I look forward to seeing how housing organisations across Yorkshire continue to put residents at the heart of sustainability improvements.

Harriett Bolton is an Account Manager at See Media.

At See Media, we help housing organisations craft compelling narratives, demonstrate value and build trust with political, public and resident audiences. If you want to refine your story, strengthen your positioning or turn progress into messages that resonate, get in touch at hello@see-media.co.uk.

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