By Tim Foreman, Managing Director of Land and New Homes, LRG: The additional funding for affordable housing is very welcome especially as the demand for affordable housing, and cost of building it, continues to increase. However, delivery of affordable housing would benefit from addressing a wider range of types and tenures than the government is currently providing for.  Specifically, shared ownership plays a very important role in getting people on to the housing ladder and yet seems to have been largely ignored by this government.  The popularity of shared ownership is increasing, partly because today’s first-time buyers are paying almost a third more to get on the property ladder than they were five years ago. Furthermore, in the last decade the number of private renters moving into home ownership fell by 23%. The government’s current stance on housing affordability – not least the increases in Stamp Duty and the freezing of Lifetime ISAs – has resulted in policies that are making it even harder for first time buyers to enter the market. Shared ownership deserves the same level of government-assisted marketing as benefited the now defunct Help to Buy scheme and it seems detrimental to the whole ‘growth agenda’ that the government is ignoring this important tenure. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

PfP Thrive, part of Places for People, has announced partnerships with the UK’s leading housing associations to deliver bespoke training programmes designed to address the critical skills shortage in the housing and construction sectors.  With demand for skilled workers at an all-time high, PfP Thrive is delivering tailored and comprehensive training modules for the UK housing and construction sectors and now, it has announced a new collaboration with 26 major industry names, including Havebury Housing, Amulius Housing, Futures Housing Group, Thrive Homes, Saffron Housing, Wates Group, Peabody Housing, East Midlands Homes (EMH), Alpha Living, Platform HG, Plymouth Community Homes, Novus Property Solutions, Gilmartin’s Group, Breck Group, Flagship Group, Notting Hill  Genesis, The Guinness Partnership, Alpha Living, Derventio Housing Trust, Anchor , Riverside, Nottingham Community Housing, Warrington Housing Association,  and West Kent Housing. Learning partners have also come on board, with the Retrofit Academy, City and Guilds, Construction Industry Training Board (CITB), Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) and Study Academy supporting training and accreditation moving forward. By working together, the partnership will rapidly train new and existing colleagues within the housing sector, ensuring the sector has the expertise needed to maintain homes, meet retrofit targets, and deliver ambitious housebuilding programmes. The initiative will focus on traditional trades, emerging skills and Housing specific learning ensuring the workforce is futureproofed to meet the evolving needs of the industry.  In addition to technical training, PfP Thrive will also offer compliance courses, apprenticeships, and leadership development programmes, helping to create a pipeline of skilled professionals at all levels.  Tom Arey, Director of PfP Thrive, said: “The skills shortage is one of the greatest challenges facing the housing and construction sectors today. The only way to solve it is through genuine cross-industry collaboration, and that’s exactly what we’ve built with these partnerships and look forward to supporting more organisations across our sector.   “By working together, we can equip both the existing and new housing workforce with the skills, knowledge and behaviours the sector needs to thrive. This is about securing the future of our sector, our workforce, and ultimately, the homes we build and maintain.”  Operating from 20 sites nationwide, PfP Thrive aims to train over 100 apprentices in its first year, with a new academy and central hub in Derby welcoming its first intake this autumn.  For more information about the organisation and its training programmes, visit: https://www.placesforpeople.co.uk/pfp-thrive/. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals

Procure Plus, the Manchester-based social housing framework specialist, has announced an ambitious £1.5 billion initiative to accelerate the installation of low and zero carbon technologies across social housing stock in the UK. The new four-year framework, running from November 2025 to November 2029, is divided into 16 lots. It covers a comprehensive range of retrofit services, from assessment, design, and coordination to the delivery of multi-measure installations. Technologies included span air and ground source heat pumps, solar panels, electric heating systems, battery storage solutions, as well as full retrofit packages incorporating insulation and ventilation. The framework breaks down into specialist areas: lots 1 to 6 focus on retrofit design and coordination services, operating both nationally and regionally across the North West, Midlands, Yorkshire, North East and North Wales. Lots 7 to 12 cover multi-measure retrofit installation works nationally and regionally, while lots 13 to 16 are dedicated to specific technologies, including air source heat pumps, ground source heat pumps, electric heating installation, and solar PV plus battery maintenance. This landmark initiative is aimed at supporting social housing providers in delivering retrofit projects aligned with the government’s net zero and decarbonisation targets. It opens the door to wide-ranging opportunities across the public sector, including housing associations, local councils, schools, NHS trusts, and emergency services. Procure Plus is inviting firms to submit bids by 30 June 2025. Successful contractors will play a key role in transforming social housing estates by introducing greener, more energy-efficient homes that reduce carbon emissions and help tackle fuel poverty. This framework represents a critical step in the UK’s journey towards sustainable housing, fostering collaboration and innovation in the retrofit sector. Interested organisations can find further information and apply through the Procure Plus website. Building, Design & Construction Magazine | The Choice of Industry Professionals