In 1998, Sir John Egan’s ‘Rethinking Construction’ report recommended the creation of “a forum of major developing housing associations and the major housebuilding and construction firms” to act as a catalyst for change in the housing sector and drive improvements in quality and efficiency.
This new forum was to bring together clients, contractors, and suppliers to:
- Agree targets for improvement, performance indicators, and data collection, analysis and dissemination
- Establish principles for commissioning and evaluating innovative demonstration projects and disseminating good practice
- Simplify procurement processes and streamline supply chains
- Encourage long term partnering arrangements between clients and providers to secure consistency, continuity, innovation and value for money
As a result of this, The Housing Forum was incorporated as a company on Friday 4th June 1999. A considerable amount of work was put into its creation by a wide variety of stakeholders, but the work of The Housing Forum’s first chair, Sir Michael Pickard, and Judith Harrison, The Housing Forum’s initial Project Manager, are worth a particular mention.
Support was provided by the government in The Housing Forum’s early years to fund a secretariat and ‘Demonstration Projects’, and since then The Housing Forum has spun off to be entirely funded by member subscriptions and sponsorship.
Since its founding, The Housing Forum has worked hard to deliver change in the construction industry. Early efforts included supporting the work of Professor David Mosey to launch the first standard form partner contract, inaugurating the National Consumer Satisfaction Survey, and assisting in the formulation of benchmarking to improve the performance of UK housebuilding.
These were informed by a series of Demonstration Projects, hundreds of reports highlighting case studies of excellence in construction. These Demonstration Projects have raised the bar in areas such as Modern Methods of Construction, the use of timber in construction, and Joint Ventures.
Culminating this work was the 2007 Callcutt Review of Housebuilding Delivery. This was commissioned by then Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Ruth Kelly MP, and led by The Housing Forum board member John Callcutt.
The Review highlighted issues in the cyclical nature of housing delivery and difficulties in successful co-operation of local authorities and private housebuilders, making 37 recommendations covering areas as diverse as land supply, skills, and viability.
Local authorities became more involved in housing delivery over the last 10 years, and started to form part of our membership base. In 2019, we formed a 50-strong Councils’ Network, meeting at biannual conferences and producing reports on a wide range of themes.
And as the housing sector looks to the leaders of tomorrow, in 2021 we started a Futures Network of young leaders. These leaders, selected from our member organisations, complete a 12-month professional development programme and deliver projects researching best practice in the housing sector.
In more recent years, The Housing Forum’s membership has grown to 122 companies across the delivery pipeline in both the private and public sector. Our activities are guided by our 20-strong board comprised of leaders across the housing sector. And, as the demands on the housing industry change, so too has our output pivoted to reflect this.
In this election year, The Housing Forum continues to drive the policy agenda, with a 25-point Manifesto for Housing, a set of planning reports which highlight some of the most pressing challenges facing local authorities, developers and consultants alike, and a report on Reforming the Right to Buy whose recommendations have already been picked up by Shadow Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook, and Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham.
As The Housing Forum commemorates its 25th anniversary, we would like to thank everyone who has made our success so far possible, including all current and former staff, members of the board, and Futures Network members.
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