Ever since the first naked hominid suggested slipping into something more comfortable, we have recognised the need for creativity and innovation.
We can guess our ancient ancestors would never have been organised enough to slip on that fur twinset or leave the caves without people to make it happen: the completers and co-ordinators. Every tribe or team needs a mix of skills to be successful. But what about lugs – the ability to listen?
Surely it’s too passive and recreational, too “Jackanory” to be of any use? The thing is, we live in a very turbulent world and a business like Grampian Housing Association has to become fleet of foot and smart in what it does. Few of us are lucky enough to be brimming with the necessary creativity. I have a vision, yes, but certainly can’t rely on my imagination alone to make it so.
The Association needs enterprise and entrepreneurship wherever it can find it. So senior management is about understanding and nurturing what’s in the minds of our own staff or (look away now) we can pinch from our competitors. And to do that we need to listen. Sometimes with a glass to the door.
The dust has settled on the election. Dull mostly, apart from a bit of argy-bargy at the close when parties discovered how devilishly complicated “gaming” our electoral system is. Stand out for me was the broad agreement on the importance of affordable housing and the sort of wild numbers one-upmanship had not seen since the 1950s. All parties committed to more of it, plus new housing ideas, some wise, a few bracingly radical, others a little batty and disappointing.
But there is a chasm between a promise of money and delivery. The devil, as the old cliché goes, is in the detail. Where is the money going to be spent? What types of housing are going to be built? When is all this happening? And who is going to do it? I once heard it said that politicians and civil servants don’t have all the answers. Pshaw I replied, but granted that the mark of a strong and capable government is the ability to listen to those that may have, and act on it.
So if I were a listening government, facing all that national and global volatility, I would consider this. The north-east has only delivered half of the affordable homes needed over the last five years or more. And that is not all about money. It’s also about land, the planning process and the capacity of councils and associations to deliver. We need a robust discussion about how we deal with the barriers.
The local councils are making an effort, there are initiatives in the air, but to take one example, the City Region Deal does not have a big commitment to affordable housing at its heart.
What is on offer is a paltry side dish, an afterthought, and one that will struggle to match the underachievement of the last five years.
Nationally we need a bit of vision when it comes to the role housing plays in the north-east economy, and to its importance in rural areas. I’m actually optimistic. The local housing associations are fired up and ready to build at levels not seen for years.
Community groups I have spoken to want to play their part, and imagination and a bit of courage will help deliver bright ideas like self-build, ownership co-operatives and land trusts.
Holyrood has a re-elected government. In any parliament it can be a recipe for a lacklustre term, but I get a feeling that this one could refresh itself and make these things happen, if it takes the time to listen.
Neil has been leading Grampian Housing Association for six years, prior to this he was at Angus Council. Neil’s ambition is to see Grampian Housing Association provide a sustainable solution to the North East housing crisis. He encourages proactive thinking across the political spectrum on the importance of affordable housing to working families, employers in all sectors, commerce and the economy.