SO Resi, the shared ownership brand of leading housing association Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing (MTVH), will release its first annual report to unveil new research into shared ownership. The research has been undertaken together with Cambridge University and the findings will be discussed during a virtual roundtable on Wednesday 3rd February at 10am.
The virtual roundtable will be chaired by property writer and editor Stacey Meadwell, and the panel will consist of Kush Rawal, Director of Residential Investment at MTVH; Dr Gemma Burgess, Professor at Cambridge University; Jon Lord, Managing Director at Metro Finance; and Ben Fry, Head of Housing Investment at Gresham House.
The discussion will focus on the key findings from the report, offering an overview of the shared ownership sector in 2020 and covering topics such as a more in depth look at the supply side of the market; management issues such as arrears; responses to the pandemic; and upcoming changes to shared ownership. Attendees will be invited to submit their questions to the panel on the day, and encouraged to give feedback throughout the roundtable in a series of polls.
Kush Rawal, Director of Residential Investment at Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing, comments: “Despite the challenges of the pandemic last year, we saw our highest level of interest from customers hoping to use shared ownership in 2020, demonstrating a clear demand from consumers for an affordable route onto the property ladder. Yet there is an obvious gap in the market in terms of accurate, recent data surrounding shared ownership and the issues faced in the sector.
“Our inaugural report looks at the shared ownership sector over the past year, allowing both us and external organisations to draw conclusions that will help to improve shared ownership not only for customers, but for lenders and investors. This is the first report in recent history that evaluates data from all perspectives in the industry, which we feel will not only be hugely beneficial to us, but to all affordable housing providers. I am looking forward to discussing the findings of the report with the panel, which will offer a varied insight into shared ownership and contribute to our understanding of the affordable homes sector.”
Dr Gemma Burgess, Acting Director Cambridge Centre for Housing and Planning Research at Cambridge University, comments: “This research underpins many existing beliefs within the affordable homes sector, with respondents agreeing that shared ownership is a positive offering for homebuyers and an attractive prospect for investors and lenders. However, there are some concerns highlighted by those who took part in the research surrounding the upcoming changes that the government will introduce this year. The virtual roundtable discussion will bring together different perspectives, reflecting the range of respondents surveyed, and will allow the audience to offer their opinions on the research results.”
SO Resi’s virtual roundtable discussion will take place via Zoom on Wednesday 3rd February from 10am-11am. Those interested in attending the roundtable or receiving a copy of the report can register here www.shorturl.at/hknuV or email matt@building-relations.co.uk.
To find out more about SO Resi call 0208 607 0550 or visit www.soresi.co.uk.
