If you want a snapshot of the UK housing sector in mid‑2026, Manchester Central this week was a good place to start.
It was hot. Properly hot. The kind of heat that turns lanyards into minor irritations and makes you question every life decision involving a suit jacket (or shorts!).
Spare a thought, then, for the poor individual zipped inside a full gorilla costume outside the venue, baking gently in the Tuesday sun. Quite what was being promoted or protested remains unclear. The commitment, however, was beyond question.
Inside, the conversation was more predictable. Two topics dominated: how to stay cool and whether anyone had found a decent place to watch England v Ghana.
But beyond the weather and the football, there were some more substantive takeaways worth reflecting on, particularly from a communications perspective.
The event still understands how to keep people engaged
The annual ‘Housing’ event may have been going on since before Scotland’s last World Cup appearance, but it continues to evolve.
This year’s introduction of the Braindate networking model is a good example. Rather than hoping chance encounters in between sessions will lead to something useful, it gives people a structured way to have focused, topic‑led conversations in small groups or one‑to‑one settings. In other words, it turns passive networking into something more intentional and, crucially, more useful.
The comms lesson here is simple: audiences expect more than broadcast. They want participation. Events, like organisations, need to design for interaction, not just information. The ones that get this right will keep people coming back.
Political comms still matters – and still goes wrong
Away from the formal sessions, one conversation kept cropping up again and again: the Labour government’s early communications missteps.
There is a clear consensus that Sir Keir Starmer got off to a bad start as soon as he set foot in 10 Downing Street. The issues cited were varied but familiar in tone: the Taylor Swift free tickets story, the winter fuel allowance debacle, a tendency to default to ‘project fear’ language around the public finances, and the endless U-turns.
What was striking in comparison was the way Labour-leader-in-waiting Andy Burnham is being talked about. He is, on paper, another middle‑aged white man in a suit (or a ‘pair of eyelashes and a black T-shirt‘ according to Kemi Badenoch at PMQs yesterday). But he is also seen as a far more seasoned operator who understands how to land a message, read a room and avoid unforced errors.
The takeaway for housing providers is obvious. Competence is not just about policy or delivery. It is about how clearly and consistently you explain what you are doing and why.
Get that wrong and you create problems for yourself. Get it right and you give yourself a margin for error.
Providers are finding their voice again
There is a noticeable shift in tone across the sector. After several years of retrenchment, with a hard focus on existing homes, building safety and tenant experience, housing organisations are starting to look more confident again. Not complacent, but clearer about their priorities and more willing to stand behind them.
The increasing flow of C1 grades from the Regulator is part of that story. Yes, it reflects improvements in service delivery. But it also reflects something less often acknowledged: better communication.
Organisations are getting clearer about what they are doing, where the gaps are and how they are addressing them. That openness is starting to pay off. The comms insight here is that transparency is no longer optional. It is a crucial part of the operating model.
AI: opportunity with clear limits
Unsurprisingly, there were several sessions on AI. But the one on Tuesday about tenant engagement reinforced both the potential of AI and the risks.
We heard examples of strong, practical use cases from Magna, Babergh and Mid-Suffolk District Councils. Data helping decide when to retrofit a bungalow with a wet room. Sensors flagging carbon monoxide risks or early signs of damp and mould. AI supporting housing officers to sense‑check decisions and improve consistency.
But three principles came through clearly:
- Be upfront with tenants about how data is used
- Give people a genuine option to opt out
- Set clear guardrails, because not everything that is possible should be done
The comms challenge is straightforward but critical. If you cannot explain what you are doing with data and AI in plain English, people will assume the worst.
Clarity is the thread that runs through everything
If there is one consistent theme from Housing 2026, it is this: clarity beats cleverness.
Whether it is an event organiser designing better networking, a politician trying to land a message, a housing association explaining its performance or a provider rolling out AI tools, the principle is the same.
Say what you are doing. Explain why it matters. Be honest about the trade‑offs. Do that well and people will give you the benefit of the doubt.
Do it badly and, like a person in a gorilla suit on a 30‑degree day, you will find yourself attracting attention for all the wrong reasons.
To discuss how we can work with your organisation to review and improve your communications, please contact hello@see-media.co.uk.
Stuart Macdonald is Managing Director at See Media
