Delivering on housing - rethinking the norm for different results

摘要

In his Soapbox column on the 100 year anniversary of Lloyd George's 'Homes fit for heroes' speech, Paul Wheeler called tor homes at rents and prices that people can afford (The MJ, 31 May). This isn't a new problem of course, but it is one that increases in importance year on year. Figures released in January this year found the number of local authority-owned homes in England decreased by 0.7% to 1.60m by April 2017. At the same time, 1.16m households were on local authority waiting lists. So where is the innovation and how do we collaborate to maximise its impact? One part of the solution is emerging in the form of factory-build housing. At iESE we have been tracking developments in this market for several years. The first time I saw the potential of factory build was at a factory in Hull.Built in a clean and dry environment, the factory was producing complete rooms with all electrics, plumbing, fixtures, fittings and flooring in place. You knew to the minute when the completed room would leave the factory. These complete rooms then slotted together before a roof was placed on top, and the property was ready to occupy.