The HIP: The Housing Industry Podcast
The housing crisis looms large. The UK’s crying out for housing stock, and new builds can play a huge role in the recovery. Diversity and inclusion is finally getting the attention it deserves at a strategic level. Although there’s plenty of work still to do. And environmental concerns are taking centre stage, with time running out to reach ambitious targets in net zero carbon emissions. Suffice to say, the UK housing sector is going through a period of great change right now. With everything developing at such a pace, it can be hard to keep your finger on the pulse. That’s why we’ve launched The Housing Industry Podcast. Featuring lively conversations with key leaders in the housing sector, The Housing Industry Podcast will provide real value to anyone working in the UK housing market who cares about making a difference.
The HIP: The Housing Industry Podcast
Embracing Past Challenges to Create Future Success with Mark Howden
To kick off The HIP for 2024, we sit down with Mark Howden, Chief Executive of Peaks & Plains. Peaks & Plains is a social housing provider based in Macclesfield which Mark joined as Interim Chief Executive after his tenure with Balfour Beatty.
Mark shares with us his interesting path into housing and his experience transitioning from the private sector to the public sector. We speak about the regulatory challenges that Peaks & Plains faced in the past, and how Mark was able to galvanise the organisation during this time and eventually regain its G1 status.
We speak about Mark’s mantra of ‘profit for purpose’ and why profit is seen as a taboo subject in the sector. We also touch on what needs to be done to improve things for the sector long term, and how a change in government could affect it.
In this episode, we cover:
- Mark’s intriguing journey into housing.
- The experience of transitioning from the private sector to the public sector.
- How Mark pulled his teams together to regain their G1 status.
- Why Mark has resisted the return to the office for his staff.
- Will things change in the sector with a government change?
- Why is profit a taboo subject within the social housing sector?
- The future for Peaks & Plains in 2024 and beyond.