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Bekah Ryder

@bekahryder.bsky.social
1.4K followers 972 following 844 posts

Experimenting at life. Research and social housing. Employed by Altair Ltd and two children. altairltd.co.uk/service/research-an…

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Reposted by Bekah Ryder
Neil Goodrich @ngoodrichhsg.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
Given the updated National Planning Policy Framework has been released, worth re-posting this update from @bekahryder.bsky.social for Altair on the peculiar case of Temporary Accommodation and the NPPF. altairltd.co.uk/2026/07/27/t...
altairltd.co.uk
Temporary Accommodation: Addressing a Growing Housing Crisis
Why planning policy must better recognise temporary accommodation as a vital part of the housing system and the response to homelessness in England.
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Bekah Ryder @bekahryder.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
Rip Bonnie T. This viewing box is for you.
Cardboard viewing box for solar eclipse with round dot of light visible
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Bekah Ryder @bekahryder.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
Was so saddened by Giles Peaker's death earlier this year, and today I find a 404 on the Nearly Legal website. Not sure if this is a blip my end or intentional, but I hope it survives as a suitable legacy @nearlylegal.co.uk @justinbates.bsky.social @anthonygoldlaw.bsky.social
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Bekah Ryder @bekahryder.bsky.social · 01/04/2026
Out of interest, is there a tally anywhere on number of government consultations per parliamentary term? Wondering where the current government sits.
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Bekah Ryder @bekahryder.bsky.social · 27/03/2026
My child’s primary school is behaving like the government on housing issues - they’ve made at least eight announcements in the last two days.
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Bekah Ryder @bekahryder.bsky.social · 05/02/2026
As I collect my latest Vinted parcel, reflecting on how the digital world has come for all that remains of most British high streets: the charity shop.
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Bekah Ryder @bekahryder.bsky.social · 03/02/2026
Support this 💯 www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Close-knit residents buy postbox to showcase Syston Knitting Banxy
A postbox in Syston was upgraded to a solar-powered model meaning toppers cannot be displayed.
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Bekah Ryder @bekahryder.bsky.social · 02/02/2026
Great article from @julesbirch.bsky.social on housing announcements “removing obstacles to development & giving owners & tenants more control & better living conditions.” Still missing, though, is the overall housing strategy promised “in the coming weeks”. www.insidehousing.co.uk/comment/catc...
insidehousing.co.uk
Catching up on a busy few weeks in housing policy
From rent convergence to the Decent Home Standard, Inside Housing columnist Jules Birch analyses the recent flurry of housing policy announcements.
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Bekah Ryder @bekahryder.bsky.social · 02/02/2026
Nice to see the launch of this website from Big Local www.learningfrombiglocal.org.uk - I still think about some of the areas I visited when doing research on this resident-led neighbourhood renewal programme www.insidehousing.co.uk/comment/afte...
insidehousing.co.uk
After 14 years of resident-led neighbourhood renewal in 150 areas, what is our legacy?
Our new website brings together learnings from a bold experiment where local people were trusted to lead, writes Madeleine Jennings of Local Trust.
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Reposted by Bekah Ryder
Alex Clegg @alexclegg.bsky.social · 29/01/2026
Our new report on Universal Credit is out today. We worked with participants from @changingrealities.bsky.social to develop 16 recommendations for how outcomes for and experiences of UC claimants can be improved. This thread has the details!
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Bekah Ryder @bekahryder.bsky.social · 29/01/2026
The cost of making homes decent will increase from £3.6 billion (old DHS) to £11.3 billion (new DHS). Rent convergence at +£2 estimated to raise an additional £6.0bn income. So still a large funding hole. What will this mean for disposals?
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Bekah Ryder @bekahryder.bsky.social · 29/01/2026
The internet as a mouse wheel open.spotify.com/episode/1d8d...
open.spotify.com
Can You REALLY Be Bored To Death?
Spotify video
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Bekah Ryder @bekahryder.bsky.social · 28/01/2026
Wow, almost dizzy at pace of change on housing this week. Commonhold draft Bill, confirmation on rent convergence (+£1 from April 2027, +£2 from April 2028), DHS (no mandatory floor coverings but a working group/pilot), MEES, S106 roadmap, and funding and increased HRA threshold for councils.
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Bekah Ryder @bekahryder.bsky.social · 27/01/2026
Busy housing day - BSR no longer part of HSE, draft Leasehold and Commonhold Reform Bill published, and Richard Blakeway stepping down as the Housing Ombudsman. With the Regulator also looking for a new CEO, could be interesting times ahead in relation to consumer standards.
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Bekah Ryder @bekahryder.bsky.social · 27/01/2026
"a third (33%) of those in social housing said a property’s condition would be a key factor they’d look for when house hunting - more than any other feature listed in the study." press.gocompare.com/news/conditi...
press.gocompare.com
Condition is key for house hunters in social housing, new study finds | GoCompare News
Condition was the top consideration for those house hunting  in social housing Community factors like neighbours and amenities are also more sought after Overall, price was the nation’s main considera...
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Reposted by Bekah Ryder
Katharine Swindells @kathyswinds.bsky.social · 26/01/2026
“She’s hurting herself rather than studying, because our lives are so disrupted. She deserves a safe, stable home life" Incredible grateful to the five mothers who spoke to me about how temporary accommodation is affecting their neurodivergent child www.insidehousing.co.uk/insight/temp...
insidehousing.co.uk
Temporary accommodation is even worse for neurodivergent children, but councils can do better
There may be tens of thousands of neurodivergent children in temporary accommodation. Katharine Swindells talks to families who are struggling to cope.
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Bekah Ryder @bekahryder.bsky.social · 26/01/2026
Five days until end of January - will we be seeing rent convergence details published this month??
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Reposted by Bekah Ryder
UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence @housingevidence.bsky.social · 22/01/2026
📅 Join us online on Thursday 19 February 10-11am GMT as we introduce the Non-Decent Index (NDI), a free tool that identifies hotspots of Decent Homes failure in England. 📝 Sign up here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/rolling-ou...
eventbrite.co.uk
Rolling out the Decent Homes Standard: Introducing the Non-Decent Index
This webinar introduces the Non-Decent Index (NDI), a free tool that identifies hotspots of Decent Homes failure in England.
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Bekah Ryder @bekahryder.bsky.social · 21/01/2026
For nearly five years this recipe was on my fridge, unused. In the act of taking it off, decided it was time to make it. And it is good. Never give up, team! The right time for your idea or interest will one day come. 😁
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Bekah Ryder @bekahryder.bsky.social · 16/01/2026
Global Accounts 2025 show record £1.3bn surplus from social rent housing sales, driven by strategic disposals under financial pressure. But with greater proportion from open market sales, how can the sector balance viability with protecting local social housing supply? www.gov.uk/government/p...
The sector also recognises profits from the sale of properties previously held for rent, with such transactions being classified as fixed asset sales. The profit reported on this type of disposal increased by 27% to £1.3bn in 2025; the highest level on record. 

Around half of the increase in surplus from fixed asset sales relates to ‘other’ fixed asset sales, which increased from £468m in 2024 to £603m in 2025. Sales reported under this category include the disposal of individual housing properties on the open market as they become void. The majority of these sales are strategic disposals of properties that are either uneconomical to bring up to existing decency or future energy efficiency standards, or non-core assets that fall outside of the main geographical operating area of the provider or are used for non-social purposes.

Providers also conduct stock rationalisation by way of bulk disposals to other organisations, including to other providers. The receipts from such sales amounted to £787m (2024: £587m) which generated a surplus of £179m in 2025 (2024: £154m).

Fixed asset disposals also include sales made directly to existing tenants or shared owners.

Tenants with a qualifying rental agreement are able to purchase their social or affordable rent property through the RTB or RTA schemes. The surplus generated from such sales increased only slightly to £132m, remaining at historically low levels.

LCHO shared owners are able to purchase additional shares of their property through a ‘staircasing’ mechanism. Receipts from staircasing transactions increased by 40% over the year, and accounted for one-quarter of total fixed asset sale receipts.

Business plans submitted in June 2025 are forecasting surpluses of £7bn to be achieved over the next five years from fixed asset sales. It is essential that providers understand the associated financial and reputational risks where such sales are required to support cashflows or to maintain covenant compliance.
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Bekah Ryder @bekahryder.bsky.social · 12/01/2026
It's 2026 and I have received my first ever email (as opposed to letter) from a council to confirm my details on the electoral register. Digital government, here we gooooo.
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Bekah Ryder @bekahryder.bsky.social · 14/12/2025
A national culture is alive and well - despite not knowing each other, the Christmas list of my non-London 11yo niece is remarkably similar to my friend’s London-dwelling 11 yo. All lip balm, amuseables and shower foam.
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Bekah Ryder @bekahryder.bsky.social · 12/12/2025
Interesting and beautiful piece of cultural history - tape letters from Pakistanis who migrated to the UK between 1960-1980 open.spotify.com/show/2P42rV5...
open.spotify.com
TL England: Tape Letters Trailer
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Bekah Ryder @bekahryder.bsky.social · 12/12/2025
Friday quiz: guess the service
There’s no accountability, reliability, positivity or even decent service. And don’t forget it is a PAID service, we are customers”
– Survey respondent
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Reposted by Bekah Ryder
Scottish Housing News @scottishhousingnews.com · 10/12/2025
CIH Futures has published a new report that shines a light on the experiences, aspirations and challenges facing early-career professionals across the housing sector.
scottishhousingnews.com
Young housing professionals given powerful collective voice with CIH Futures report
CIH Futures has published a new report that shines a light on the experiences, aspirations and challenges facing early-career professionals across the housing sector.
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Reposted by Bekah Ryder
Inside Housing @insidehousing.bsky.social · 10/12/2025
dlvr.it
Young professionals are struggling to access ‘invisible’ housing sector, CIH says
Young people want to enter the housing sector but face numerous barriers, both to entry and once in the workplace, according to new analysis by Chartered Institute of Housing Futures
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Bekah Ryder @bekahryder.bsky.social · 09/12/2025
Delighted to see publication of @altairltd.bsky.social research on young professionals' views and experiences of working in social housing. Young people are passionate about housing, but passion without support, development and voice risks disengagement. Read more here: www.cih.org/news/cih-res...
“Not everyone gets the opportunity to make a difference in the world – this is ours.”

Young housing professional in focus group
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Bekah Ryder @bekahryder.bsky.social · 05/12/2025
Do you work in and with housing? If so, please come along to the CIH webinar on 9 Dec at 12.30 for the launch of CIH Futures' research, Voices of the Future - we'll be talking through findings from the first-ever survey of young housing professionals. www.cih.org/events/a-sec...
White text on purple background reading "Voices of the Future: Building Tomorrow’s Housing Sector"
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Bekah Ryder @bekahryder.bsky.social · 04/12/2025
It's chart of the year time! www.gov.uk/government/s...
Household moves
In 2024-25, approximately 1.8 million households moved home in the previous 12 months. Around half of these were moves into or out of private rented dwellings.  In total, 640,000 households moved within tenure (from one privately rented home to another) and 182,000 new households moved into the private rented sector, Figure 3.4.

There was less movement in the social rented and owner occupied sectors. In 2024-25, there were 149,000 households that moved from one social rented property to another, and 40,000 new households moved into the sector.

In the owner occupied sector, 354,000 households moved within the tenure and 66,000 new households were created by moving into the sector. There were 191,000 households that moved into the tenure from the private rented sector.
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Bekah Ryder @bekahryder.bsky.social · 27/11/2025
It’s 27 November and I have seen my first drunk street argument where one of the participants is bedecked with a cracker hat. Merry Christmas!
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Bekah Ryder @bekahryder.bsky.social · 26/11/2025
Massive CONGRATULATIONS to @drblez.bsky.social for being the runner-up in the @thinkhouseinfo.bsky.social Early Career Researcher’s Prize for ‘Measuring What Matters: Tackling Structural Stigma in Social Housing​​‘ www.thinkhouse.org.uk/about/early-...
Eve with her certificate
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Bekah Ryder @bekahryder.bsky.social · 26/11/2025
I know there's a budget n all, but a huge CONGRATULATIONS to @mauricelange.bsky.social for winning the @thinkhouseinfo.bsky.social Early Career Researcher's Prize for his paper 'The past, present and future of public housebuilding in England'. www.thinkhouse.org.uk/about/early-...
Five people in front of a red background, with two holding Thinkhouse prizewinning certificates - Maurice Lange for the winning paper and Eve Blezard for the runner up paper.
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Reposted by Bekah Ryder
Noble Francis @noblefrancis.bsky.social · 26/11/2025
The OBR's latest economic forecasts alongside the Budget says net additional new homes in 2023/24 & 2024/25 were lower than it expected but they will be much higher than expected this year (2025/26)??? despite... #autumnbudget #AutumnBudget2025 #AutumnBudget25 #Budget #ukhousing #ukconstruction
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Bekah Ryder @bekahryder.bsky.social · 26/11/2025
Having a little cry about this. This is what building a better future looks like, well done to everyone who campaigned for this.
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Bekah Ryder @bekahryder.bsky.social · 28/10/2025
Do you work for a housing association or local authority providing general needs housing? Altair is exploring how tenant mental health interacts with social housing services and what support is needed, through this short survey: survey.alchemer.eu/s3/90939915/...
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Bekah Ryder @bekahryder.bsky.social · 28/10/2025
This is a worrying loss of supported housing. That is 939 people who won't be getting the support they need to leave hospital, exit homelessness, or be supported to live independently.
Graph showing stock change from 2023/24 to 2024/25 for private registered providers of social housing in England. There has been a 0.2% decrease in supported housing stock (equivalent to 939 homes) https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/68f8a57425d7d8af156dc272/2025_PRP_Stock_Briefing_Note_FINAL_V1.0.pdf
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Reposted by Bekah Ryder
50 Shades of Planning @50shadesofplanning.bsky.social · 21/10/2025
Link: longwall.substack.com/p/buckaroo-t...
longwall.substack.com
Buckaroo! The burdens that have become a big problem for house building
Each new policy requirement for building new homes might be perfectly reasonable in its own right, but in combination they are making it harder to build the number of homes we so desperately need.
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Bekah Ryder @bekahryder.bsky.social · 21/10/2025
Webinar incoming! I'll be talking through results of the CIH Futures research on 9 Dec, sharing what young people think about working in the housing sector and what is needed to attract and retain talent. The legacy of leaders is who follows in their footsteps! www.cih.org/events/a-sec...
cih.org
A Sector in Transformation - CIH Futures Survey Results
Housing is evolving— and those who will lead the sector in the future are here. Do we understand their thoughts, hopes, and experiences?
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Bekah Ryder @bekahryder.bsky.social · 13/10/2025
"A lot of the supported housing that we used to have, including some very good quality services, have simply ceased to exist. "What's left is struggling along. It can't be delivered safely or effectively. Most supported housing is in a desperate plight." www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
'Enormous crisis' warning from homelessness service
Andrew Redfern says Framework's aspiration remains to end the need for the service.
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Bekah Ryder @bekahryder.bsky.social · 10/10/2025
Interesting findings around type of support for accessing employment: www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/social-...
insidehousing.co.uk
Social landlords better than government in supporting long-term unemployed people, study finds
Housing associations are far more effective than government work programmes at helping long-term unemployed people find jobs in areas of deprivation, new research has found.
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Bekah Ryder @bekahryder.bsky.social · 09/10/2025
Enjoying this single cover. When I was younger, I was obsessed that tv and film never showed any clothes marks on people’s skin when doing nude scenes. And the fact they never arranged where to meet, just the time. Or locked their car doors.
Image of a back with word ASCEND indented on the white skin
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Bekah Ryder @bekahryder.bsky.social · 08/10/2025
Catching up on this and welling up about how much representation matters to young people’s future aspirations and the importance of funding community youth services to help achieve those dreams www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
bbc.co.uk
Desert Island Discs - Michael Sheen, actor - BBC Sounds
Michael Sheen, actor, shares the soundtrack of his life with Lauren Laverne.
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Bekah Ryder @bekahryder.bsky.social · 07/10/2025
Sometimes feel the legacy of AI will be the death of British English spelling.
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Bekah Ryder @bekahryder.bsky.social · 04/10/2025
“A country that once turned out visionaries, engineers, inventors and artists is raising a generation that can swipe, scroll, and like – but not make, see or imagine.” observer.co.uk/news/opinion...
observer.co.uk
Children starved of art lose their creative spark – and t...
You can’t buy a crayon with the amount spent on arts education in some schools – leaving pupils without the skills for tomorrow’s jobs
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Bekah Ryder @bekahryder.bsky.social · 03/10/2025
Looking at Labour Force survey data for June, I see that every single one of the 4,666 government-supported trainees in UK construction are male. Every. Single. One.
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Bekah Ryder @bekahryder.bsky.social · 02/10/2025
Nothing about statistics on population and housing makes me feel the UK is united. It’s exhausting having to look in so many different places for even basic information.
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Bekah Ryder @bekahryder.bsky.social · 28/09/2025
Spotted in @theweek.com, this says a lot about the British public 21% of British adults believe that tea is grown in the UK, rising to 46% for those aged 25 to 34. Kantar/The Independent
Image showing text reading: 21% of British adults believe that tea is grown in the UK, rising to 46% for those aged 25 to 34.
Kantar/The Independent
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Bekah Ryder @bekahryder.bsky.social · 26/09/2025
Altair Ltd is recruiting for both Senior Development Consultant and Development Consultant roles within our Development & Regeneration team - fantastic opportunities to work on projects that shape new homes and communities. Find out more and apply here: altairltd.co.uk/working-at-a...
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Bekah Ryder @bekahryder.bsky.social · 26/09/2025
Generation New Era is a rubbish name, but great news that this has been commissioned www.ukri.org/news/ukri-an...
ukri.org
UKRI announces first UK-wide birth cohort study in 25 years
A ground-breaking UK-wide scientific study will help improve the lives of future generations by studying 30,000 children born in 2026.
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Bekah Ryder @bekahryder.bsky.social · 26/09/2025
Doing Altair's latest stocktake, and find this from the Regulator's latest quarterly survey very striking: capital market investment in social housing is at a six-year low. It's expensive to borrow long-term with gilt yields and interest rates high, which makes short-term bank loans more attractive.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/quarterly-survey-for-q1-april-to-june-2025/quarterly-survey-for-q1-april-to-june-2025
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