017_LABM_DEC21_Layout 1 25/11/2021 17:58 Page 17
PROJECT PROFILE: CAMBRIDGE INVESTMENT PARTNERSHIP
Investing in the city’s future
Tom Hill, Regional Director at the Hill Group and Claire Flowers, Head of Housing Development at Cambridge City Council
The lack of genuinely affordable homes is a major issue for many cities across the UK. Cambridge’s international reputation in the fields of education and research means the city attracts a lot of people and its population is growing rapidly, increasing the need for more affordable homes. Claire Clutten finds out how the Cambridge Investment Partnership (CIP) is tackling the affordability crisis. he housing sector faces a number of significant challenges. Demand for affordable housing outstrips supply and council waiting lists are bourgeoning. Research report, ‘Building post-pandemic prosperity’, commissioned by the Local Government Association, the Association of Retained Council Housing, and National Federation of ALMOs, reveals that ‘one in 10 households in need of housing are stuck on council waiting lists for over five years as a result of the chronic shortage of affordable homes’. The report goes on to say ‘that as a result of the pandemic, council housing waiting lists could almost double next year to as many as 2.1 million households’.
T
Cambridge Investment Partnership’s Timberworks development on Cromwell Road
CIP’s Akeman Street development in Cambridge
The statistics on statutory homelessness in England for the 2020/21 financial year reflect the success of the Government’s ‘Everyone In’ strategy and the tireless work of councils to get thousands of rough sleepers off the streets during the pandemic, however, industry bodies like the LGA are concerned “that as life returns to normal, there could be an increase in homelessness cases.” Building safety is another major challenge. The National Housing Federation says that housing associations alone are expecting to spend ‘in excess of £10bn to make all buildings safe over the next decade’. In addition to the need for greater funding to meet the costs of fire safety defects, the LGA’s Councillor Renard says
“action is also needed to address the chronic shortage of fire engineers and other competent professionals in the UK today”. Against this backdrop there’s the added pressure of decarbonisation. Nationwide Building Society’s recent ‘Future Of Home’ report says we need to retrofit two homes a minute by 2050 if we are to achieve our climate goals. Over 300 local authorities have already declared a climate emergency.
Rising to the challenge Local authorities are under enormous pressure, but not ones to shy away from challenges, are displaying great ambition in the projects they are delivering to meet the needs of their local communities. A
N O V E M B E R / D E C E M B E R
2 0 2 1
L A B M
I
1 7
