Sureserve, CIH and 2025's Housing Community Summit

The Housing Community Summit 2025 took place in Liverpool on September 8th and 9th. Brought to life by the Chartered Institute of Housing and the National Housing Federation, the conference emphasised collaboration and practical solutions across the sector. Attendees praised the successful event for its focus on resident engagement, AI in housing, building better communities, Awaab’s law, long-term funding and more.  

Sureserve was honoured to have sponsored the Housing Community Summit’s drinks reception. It was a fantastic time and a chance to connect with social housing’s most influential stakeholders, prominent politicians and housing leaders from every corner of the country.  

The speeches were packed with insight, urgency, passion and a real sense of mission. Some standout moments from the heavyweights who took the stage included: 

• Kate Henderson (NHF)…
  • stressed the significance of resident engagement and went on to say: “We must stop talking at communities and start building with them.”  

• Gavin Smart (CIH)…
  • touched upon sector unity and added that, “Housing isn’t just about homes — it’s about dignity, opportunity and belonging.” 

• Sophie Harrison (Sovereign Network Group)… 
  • built on Mr. Smart’s words by stating, “Resident voice isn’t a checkbox — it’s the blueprint for everything we build.” 

• Bronwen Rapley (Onward Homes)...
  • added another layer, saying, “The bricks matter, but the relationships matter more.” 

• and Brenda Canham (Flagship Housing Group)…
  • continued the focus on residents, challenging the sector to “stop designing services for the average tenant — because they don’t exist.”

While other speakers centred on AI, sustainability and energy-tech, Pat Ritchie CBE (Homes England) highlighted the need for long-term funding certainty, noting that, “We need to stop chasing short-term wins and start planning for generational impact.” 

Difficult topics, such as systemic inequalities, were not shied away from and Salford City Mayor, Paul Dennett, called out the stigmas surrounding social housing, saying, “Decent homes are a human right. We need to stop apologising for saying so.” 

Another panel decoded the political landscape, emphasising the need for radical honesty in housing policy while former MP, Rory Stewart, urged leaders to, “Stop pretending we can build without reforming planning.”  

One popular speaker laid out a viable roadmap to achieve the UK’s 2050 sustainability targets while another addressed the need for tighter cross-sector partnerships and still another showed the audience a possible future detailing the many positive societal changes that might occur should the UK succeed in its goal to rely solely on renewable sources for all of its energy needs. 

The event was a powerful mix of policy critique, emotional intelligence, lived experience and a wealth of visionary thinking about reshaping the future of social housing in the UK.