Last week (week commencing 14 July) Horsham District Council hosted Homes for Tomorrow, a summit-style event with a focus on tackling local housing challenges and working together to find solutions.
Delegates on the day included housebuilders, central government representatives, planning officers, John Milne MP, housing officers, Supported housing providers, community workers and officers from West Sussex County Council and Horsham District Council.
Speakers representing central Government gave overviews of the Government’s plan to create more affordable housing and an update on their work combatting homelessness. The Council’s senior planning officers presented the current challenges they face in terms of water neutrality, housing targets and incoming changes to the planning system. The Chief Executive of Horsham District Council’s main housing partner, Saxon Weald spoke about their work, in particular on the development of Extra Care housing for the District. Action in Rural Sussex spoke about how community-led housing can benefit a community.
Regular question and answer sessions and a panel session at the end of the day created opportunities for all those attending to share expertise and learn from each other.
Introducing why the event was so important Chief Executive of the Council Jane Eaton said:
The best start in life and the best end in life is a good place to live and I think we all believe that. Children deserve life chances and elderly people deserve a warm place to sit in their latter days.
Horsham District Council’s Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities Cllr Sam Raby commented:
Attending this event, surrounded by such a wealth of housing expertise, was invaluable. The insights gained and shared will play a crucial role in shaping our new housing strategy that truly meets the changing needs of our people in the Horsham District.
“Everyone deserves to live in a home that’s safe, secure and of a good standard regardless of their circumstances and our new Homes for Tomorrow strategy is set to help us achieve this.
The new Homes for Tomorrow – shaping the future together strategy will focus on providing the right homes for those who need them, increasing the number of affordable homes, and addressing homelessness in the District.
The strategy will be fully adopted at the beginning of 2026. It will include an action plan that will be reviewed annually.