Seminar: Housing in Challenging Times

Date: 16 October 2009

A SEMINAR covering the wide-ranging challenges facing housing associations today, including the increasing demand but lack of supply, is to be staged in Liverpool.

North West Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors, Mitchell Charlesworth, together with leading North West law firm, Brabners Chaffe Street, are jointly holding the seminar called Housing in Challenging Times.

Eric Armitage, former deputy chair of the Housing Corporation and board member of LHT, will chair the event and will help unravel the difficulties that currently exist and how to overcome them.

The keynote speaker will be Stephanie Fleck, from the Tenant Services Authority, who will discuss regulation, including new powers, financial regulation and how it will work in practice.

Paul Wainwright, a partner at Mitchell Charlesworth, which is nationally recognised for its work with housing associations, said: “The current challenges facing the social housing sector are formidable.

“There is increasing demand on a limited supply of affordable social housing stock. With increased finance costs, diminishing borrowing opportunities and a construction industry that is only showing small signs of increased activity, which is putting significant pressure on the social housing sector.”

Alistair Fletcher, Head of the Social Housing team at Brabners Chaffe Street, added “As the economy contracts and unemployment increases, demand seems set to continue to rise and supply seems set to fall short – so there are plenty off issues to tackle at the seminar.”

Social housing specialists from Mitchell Charlesworth and Brabners Chaffe Street, along with several sector experts, will also present a series of workshops, covering topics such as anti-social behaviour, tax and legal issues.

The seminar will be held at the LACE Conference Centre, Croxteth Drive, Sefton Park, Liverpool, on Friday 20th November. Plans are already in motion to return to the BT Convention Centre on Friday, November 5, 2010.

For further information, or to book a place, contact Rebekka Cairns at Mitchell Charlesworth on 0151 255 2300.

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