Housing and Communities Annual Lecture (July 2025)

About:

We are delighted to be welcoming Kevin Hollinrake MP (Shadow Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities & Member of Parliament for Thirsk and Malton) as our guest speaker for our 2025 Housing and Communities Annual Lecture - a politician's perspective.

In his speech, Kevin will outline the approach of His Majesty's Opposition with regard to this key area of public policy for the country as well as provide some insight into what a Conservative Government's priorities could be - with the caveat being, a General Election is expected to be several years down the line!

This event will be held from 09:30-12:00 on Friday 11th July at The Banqueting Suite, Birmingham Council House, Birmingham. The lecture will commence promptly at 10am so we ask for you to arrive at the Council House no later than 9.30am.

With special thanks to the West Midlands Housing Association Partnership (WMHAP) for sponsoring this key event for the West Midlands region.

THE FORMAT:

The schedule for the session is:

09:30 – 10:00     Guests arrive, teas, coffee and breakfast rolls served

10:00 – 11:00     Guest Lecture from Kevin Hollinrake MP (Shadow Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities & Member of Parliament for Thirsk and Malton) 

11:00 – 12:00     Networking over tea and coffee

ABOUT OUR SPEAKERS:

Kevin Hollinrake MP is the Shadow Secretary of State for Levlling Up, Housing and Communities & Member of Parliament for Thirsk and Malton. 

Kevin was born and raised near Easingwold, North Yorkshire. He is passionate about sports and an accomplished businessman. After studying physics at university, he co-founded Hunters Estate Agents in 1992, expanding it into one of the UK's leading estate agencies. Influenced by his parents' interest in politics, Kevin stood for and was elected MP for Thirsk and Malton in 2015. Since then, he has been very active in Parliament on both national and local issues and held several government roles, including Minister for Small Business from October 2022 to July 2024, most notably Kevin led the Government's action on ensuring compensation for sub-postmasters following the Horizon Scandal. He previously co-chaired the successful APPG on Fair Business Banking from 2018 to 2022, championing efforts against economic crime and corruption.

Kevin is a strong advocate of the small and medium sized business sector and of the North and has been campaigning hard for more investment in Northern roads, rail, digital networks, skills training and private sector investment, which he believes is key to growing the Yorkshire and wider UK economy.

Re-elected for the fourth time in July 2024 when he was appointed as the Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Trade, he now serves as Shadow Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

Dr Halima Sacranie is a housing and communities policy researcher and completed her PhD at the Centre for Urban and Regional Studies at the University of Birmingham in 2011, a regional centre of excellence for housing research. She went on to lead the Housing and Communities Research Group at the University of Birmingham from 2018 to 2023.

In her capacity as Director of Housing Research at the Centre for the New Midlands, Halima recently led the evaluation of the West Midlands Social Housing Quality Fund programme, a £15 million grant programme to tackle severe damp and mould in social housing in the West Midlands. This study was commissioned by the West Midlands Combined Authority and conducted between February to November 2024.

In January 2025 Halima embarked on an exciting new research project programme at the Centre for the New Midlands, working with the research group Social Life, to develop a Decent Neighbourhood Standard, with the first demonstrator project underway in partnership with community-led housing organisation Witton Lodge Community Association in North Birmingham.

Previously, at the University of Birmingham, Halima was the UK academic partner on CHARM (Circular Housing Asset Renovation & Management), a 4-year EU-funded project led by TU Delft in the Netherlands. The project aimed to develop asset management approaches that prevent the downcycling of materials in the renovation and construction of social rented dwellings. Her research centred on the impact on, and role of, tenants in implementing circular economy principles across partner organisations. Other previous projects based at Aston University include a 3-year study on Housing Quality, Neighbourhoods and Resident Wellbeing with VIVID Homes, and a 2-year collaboration with the Gambling Commission and Birmingham City Council examining harmful gambling and tenancy insecurity. Halima’s earlier work includes national and regional evaluations of the Empty Homes Community Grants Programme, alongside research projects funded by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, the Nationwide Foundation, and the ESRC.

With extensive experience in applied housing research, Halima has developed a strong understanding of the housing policy and built environment landscape across the West Midlands, and works closely with stakeholders across the housing, regeneration, and community sectors. As Director of Housing Research at the Centre for the New Midlands, Halima is building a new programme of research with the ambition of establishing the think tank as a new leading centre for housing policy research. Halima also currently holds roles as an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Birmingham, a Research Fellow at Aston University, and a Trustee of the charity Climate Outreach.

ABOUT OUR EVENT SPONSORS:

West Midlands Housing Association Partnership (WMHAP), supports the West Midlands Combined Authority and the elected Mayor to deliver on their social and economic plans for the region.

The partnership brings together more than 30 housing associations so that we can speak with a single voice on key issues. Together, we own a total of 120,000 homes across the Midlands.

Contact Event Organiser