A recent audit of the UK government’s energy efficiency policies conducted by RIBA calls for an increased rigidity in policy framework when it comes to decarbonising social housing. After all, the residential sector is increasingly responsible for UK carbon emissions, having increased its contribution by 4% over a ten-year period.
Since the audit, the UK government has launched the Warm Homes Social Housing Fund: £1.2bn to be granted to social housing providers to help decarbonise their portfolios. The scheme will help contribute to a reduction in carbon emissions, as well as lowering household bills for residents in winters ahead. A commendable first step towards the decarbonisation of social housing stock – but is it sufficient to enact long-term efficient energy-use?
Ambitious goals
After a successful application, Soho Housing Association has received the maximum amount we applied for: a £1 million grant to channel into energy-optimising retrofitting projects across the portfolio. Match funding means that we are aiming to improve the energy efficiency of over 100 of our central London residential properties.
Upgrading heating systems and better insulating properties will inch Soho Housing one step closer to our ambitious target of obtaining an EPC rating of C across the portfolio by 2030. Governmental support in this endeavour is welcomed, particularly considering the additional challenges that come with retrofitting buildings in central London – from protecting historic or listed buildings to navigating access and regulatory requirements.
Individualised approach
There is no one size fits all approach to retrofit. Each building being retrofitted will have different needs to be catered to – and in order to devise a retrofit strategy as unique as the building itself, conducting individualised surveyor site-visits is an essential first step.
Maintaining historic features of culturally significant listed buildings is a tightly regulated non-negotiable. The governmental Warm Homes grant will help us access contractors and surveyors to collaborate and protect the heritage fabric of our buildings.
Navigating the complexities of London’s planning and development regulations does not come without its obstacles. Access to build scaffolding, traffic and pedestrianisation, all prove challenging when trying to complete construction work with minimal disruption to residents and the public alike. The overall strategy requires careful consideration of, and communication between, a number of different stakeholders from our local authorities (City of Westminster and London Borough of Camden), the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), residents and contractor and an individualized retrofit strategy for each building.
Tenant-centric outcomes
Added to the practical challenges of undergoing construction works in busy, pedestrianised areas, it is vital that resident needs are considered throughout the retrofit process. In some cases, our residents have been settled in these properties for many years. They have built families and lives in their homes, and any works must be conducted with individual resident needs in mind – be that protecting working hours or routines for young families.
We have worked alongside retrofit experts at K-squared to formulate a resident engagement strategy that keeps the needs of tenants central to the project and to help us coordinate across a large number of stakeholders.
The mixed-use vision
Our ambitious retrofit programme goes hand-in-hand with our mixed-use strategy. At Soho Housing, commercial revenue generates 25% of the association’s income and has become an essential part of our wider asset management strategy. Focusing future funding into commercial property provides a financial stream that can be invested directly back into the provision of our social housing – be that for energy efficiency and insulation measures or all-important maintenance and repairs.
As refreshing as it is to see tangible steps being taken to upgrade the energy efficiency of our social housing stock in the UK, this funding will only act as the first step associations can take towards net zero goals. Complications remain within retrofitting processes that require more extensive planning processes and more manpower. Considering that 85% of buildings used for housing in 2050 have already been built, it’s fair to say that retrofitting should be a central component of governmental Net Zero goals within the property sector.
For now, housing associations face the unique challenge of advancing ambitious sustainability goals, whilst thinking innovatively and strategically about how to maintain current stock and increase supply to meet demand. The Government’s Warm Homes Fund will go a long way in helping providers navigate this balancing act and ensure that residents remain central to future housing strategies.
