The Chartered Institute of Housing’s annual Housing conference and exhibition – CIH Housing – is the UK’s largest gathering of housing professionals, bringing together more than 8,000 delegates, 400 exhibitors and 200 speakers over three days every June at Manchester Central. The 2024 edition, held 18-20 June, placed “Home, health and hope – building better futures” at the centre of its programme, reflecting the sector’s commitment to tackling the housing crisis, improving tenant wellbeing and accelerating net-zero ambitions. The format combines a high-level conference, policy briefings, technical masterclasses, hands-on workshops and an extensive exhibition floor where housing associations, local authorities, developers, lenders, tech firms and suppliers showcase innovations ranging from modular construction to IoT-enabled asset management.

Keynote addresses were delivered by Rt Hon Michael Gove MP, Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities; Kate Henderson, CIH President; and Lord Kerslake, Chair of the Homes England Board. Plenary sessions explored the post-General Election policy landscape, the future of social housing regulation, building safety reforms, rent-setting powers, and the role of housing in preventative health. A dedicated stream examined decarbonisation finance, PAS 2035 retrofit standards and the transition to heat pumps, while another focused on tenant engagement, consumer standards and the new Ombudsman regime. Fringe sessions covered homelessness prevention, supported housing supply, racial equality in housing services, and digital inclusion for older residents.

The second day featured the popular “Leaders’ lunch” debate on cross-sector partnership and the annual CIH Excellence Awards dinner recognising outstanding schemes in affordable housing development, community investment, and diversity & inclusion. Parallel professional-development workshops offered chartered membership assessments and CPD-certified training on asset valuation, data ethics, and neurodiversity-friendly design.

Exhibition highlights included a full-scale modular home erected in 90 minutes, live demos of AI-powered repairs diagnostics, and a “Green street” pavilion where local authorities compared ESG funding models. Networking lounges facilitated meetings between housing association CEOs and institutional investors, while a student zone connected graduates with recruitment partners. The event was accompanied by the publication of CIH’s UK Hou