Countdown to KHG housing conference

After months of planning the curtain is about to go up on the Kent Housing Group Conference 2024.

The challenges and opportunities facing the public and private housing sector in Kent and Medway will be put under the microscope when more than 200 housing industry professionals attend the conference at the Kent Event Centre on Tuesday 5 March.

It is being organised by the Kent Housing Group (KHG) in association with Birketts, Counties and Capital Consulting and Stantec.

Delegates from a range of specialisms engaged in the delivery of public and private sector housing will gather for the one-day event. In addition to representatives of the member and partner organisations, delegates will include developers, registered providers, planners, architects, contractors, policy-makers, charities, consultants and special interest groups.

The conference will be chaired by BBC presenter Sally Bundock, while the keynote speeches will be delivered by Kate Willard OBE, Chair of the Thames Estuary Growth Board, and Roger Gough, Leader of Kent County Council. The event is being delivered by White Label Creative.

Key panel discussions at the conference will reflect the themes of the Kent and Medway Housing Strategy 2020-2025, and discussions will help KHG to formulate their future strategy.

The programme will include health and wellbeing; working together for safer homes; infrastructure first; accelerating housing delivery; and affordability.

KHG Chair Brian Horton said: “Housing is fundamentally about people and communities, not just bricks and mortar. In addition to informing, educating and enthusing key stakeholders and members, our conference will provide strategic advice and a Kent perspective on the hottest topics and issues facing the housing sector today and into the future.” 

The conference is free for KHG members (limited to five spaces per organisation) and the cost for non-members is £250+VAT. You can book your place to attend online.

Programme highlights include:

Healthier Homes, Healthier Communities, Happier Lives

• This session looks at how housing, health and social care sectors can best collaborate to ensure a higher level of health and wellbeing within communities.

Safe as Houses

• We consider the issues and challenges involved in ensuring decent, secure, healthy, warm homes, whether new build or existing homes, regardless of tenure.

Housing, Infrastructure Investment and Zero Carbon Targets

• Our focus in this session is infrastructure investment into Kent and Medway and the ways in which stakeholders can support and influence delivery.

The Planning Process and Housing Delivery

• Our experts on this panel discuss the main challenges and barriers in accelerating the delivery of homes across Kent and Medway and debate the major planning reforms they think are needed to speed up delivery.

Affordability, Inclusivity and Flexibility

• We focus on the most effective ways to deliver the right type, tenure and location of affordable homes that meet the housing needs of Kent and Medway.

Closing Address by Kent Housing Group

The Kent Housing Group is the ‘collective voice’ of the housing sector in Kent and Medway. It has representation from all 12 Kent local authorities, Medway Council, 13 housing associations, Kent County Council and Kent Public Health. KHG also has representation from organisations who work in partnership with housing organisations, including Homes England, the National Housing Federation, the National Landlords Residents Association and the South East Local Enterprise Partnership (SELEP). For more information visit the Kent Housing Group website.

Partnership and exhibition opportunities

Partnering with the conference provides the perfect opportunity to build or strengthen relationships with decision makers in the housing sector across Kent and Medway. If you would like to raise your profile and be part of the conversation, a variety of partnership opportunities are available, as well as space for any companies who wish to exhibit and showcase their projects or services.

For information on how you could get involved, contact Shelley Cook at scook@wlcreative.org.uk.