How can we ensure access to quality housing across all income levels, ethnicities and backgrounds?  

This session explored how London is working to provide quality housing for all despite ongoing resource constraints and viability challenges, highlighting successes and lessons for reducing inequalities in future developments. 

Speakers

• Lizzie Le Mare, Director, Tibbalds
• Jon Neale, Head of Research and Insight, Montagu Evans 
• Caroline Richardson, Divisional Head of Social Value, Vistry Group
• Nnenna Urum-Eke, Assistant Director, Lewisham Council 
• Andrea Baker, Director of Housing and Corporate Services, Poplar HARCA 

Lizzie Le Mare, Tibbalds (Chair) 

Lizzie is a Chartered Town Planner with a multidisciplinary background in planning, urban design and architecture. She has extensive experience of delivering housing led regeneration projects in complex urban environments and cares deeply about the importance of working with existing communities to bring about beneficial change.

• The sector must encourage a broader mix of tenure and housing types that reflect diverse lifestyles, needs, and financial realities across London’s population.
• Current delivery models prioritise private sale, leaving low- and middle-income Londoners with few stable, affordable options. While the building of student accommodation and co-housing models add value, many people remain excluded.

“We’re in a multifaceted housing crisis, from affordability to the pressures of temporary accommodation. The system isn’t meeting the needs of most Londoners.” – Lizzie Le Mare

Jon Neale, Montagu Evans

Jon is Head of Research and Insight at Montagu Evans. His work has ranged from research and analysis of individual sites to wider socio-economic trends, producing work for major industry players, government bodies and think tanks.

• London’s changing demographics – an ageing population, falling birth rate, and high migration – are reshaping housing demand.
• These pressures are interconnected: rising costs drive more household sharing, while a lack of age-appropriate homes reduces the availability of family-sized stock, putting additional strain on affordability across generations.
• We need cross-sector planning that considers the wider system: stock, tenure, and demographic change, to ensure London’s housing meets future needs.
• Yet the affordability gap remains stark. Delivery models struggle to meet demand, and the private sector dominates both private and affordable housing.

“Even in some of the cheapest boroughs in London, you’re looking at homes costing ten times the median income” – Jon Neale 

Caroline Richardson, Vistry Group

Caroline has 23 years of experience in community development, . In her current role, she upholds Vistry’s commitment to social value by collaborating with residents, partners, and stakeholders to deliver impactful projects that foster resilience and sustainability.

• Developers and housing providers must recognise they are not always the experts in local needs.
• Community needs data quickly becomes outdated. Continuous collaboration with local authorities and community groups is required to ensure long term meaningful engagement.
• The sector must embed futureproofing into planning to ensure homes serve future communities and strengthen local skills and apprenticeships through Section 106 so residents can share in and sustain that future.

“We need to continuously ask ourselves and the industry: What can we truly do to help communities thrive?” – Caroline Richardson

Nnenna Urum-Eke, Lewisham Council

Nnenna leads on housing delivery and estate regeneration initiatives. Her work is grounded in a deep understanding of the socio-economic dynamics of urban development and place-making.

• Through Building for Lewisham, the borough is rethinking how today’s construction decisions shape the city’s future, focusing on resilience, stability, and long-term community wellbeing.
• In Lewisham, home ownership is attainable for only a small minority of residents. Whilst high and rising rents in the private rented sector are displacing many households, forcing them into temporary accommodation.
• Partnership working across councils, housing associations, and local groups is essential to tackling the housing crisis. Initiatives such as small sites aggregators can help deliver more homes collaboratively and efficiently.

“When we get housing wrong, we get everything wrong. Housing matters” – Nnenna Urum-Eke

Andrea Baker, Poplar HARCA 

Andrea has over 35 years’ experience in housing, including 17 at Poplar HARCA, as Director of Housing and also as Corporate Services lead. 

• Equity, inclusion, and justice form the foundation of good design, ensuring fair outcomes and removing barriers to participation.
• Good design should also foster intergenerational connection, creating spaces where children and older people can both thrive. 
• At Teviot Estate Regeneration, over 1000 residents are co-creating plans across a 30 – 40-year project, embedding continuous dialogue so future communities inherit both the lessons and the legacy of today’s design choices.

“Good decisions happen when we listen – our residents hold the insight and experience that make equitable places possible.” – Andrea Baker

Links to speaker resources

Jon Neale. Montagu Evans: Access to quality housing for all – Download

Nnenna Urum-Eke, Lewisham Council – Building for Lewisham – Download

Andrea Baker, Poplar HARCA – Build Homes. Build Equity. Build Futures. – Download

Conference session write-ups

Keynotes

Somers Town field trip

Resident protection and wellbeing

The power of Passivhaus

Quality housing for all

Resident safety and wellbeing

Unlocking temporary accommodation supply

An equitable future: Lessons from Kidbrooke Park

Postcards from future neighbourhoods

Systems thinking to deliver future homes

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Homes for the Future programme

The conference is part of our major Knowledge programme for 2025/6. The conference ideas and insights will contribute to our overall research.

We will publish a final report in February 2026 with case studies and practical recommendations. Find out more about our Homes for the Future programme.

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