Reflections on the Housing LIN annual networking event at the House of Lords

Yesterday, we were delighted to host our annual networking reception at the prestigious Cholmondeley Room and Terrace at the House of Lords, a special occasion to thank the sponsors, partners, and sector leaders who have played a vital role in Housing LIN’s success over the past year. Set against the iconic backdrop of the Thames, the event brought together some of the most influential voices in our sector, driving forward the future of housing for older people.

Guests from across the UK enjoyed a buffet afternoon tea and vibrant networking opportunities before formal proceedings began. Lord Best, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Housing and Care for Older People, opened the event with a warm welcome and a reminder of the APPG’s continued advocacy for integrated housing, care, and support.

Housing LIN’s CEO, Jeremy Porteus, then took the floor to deliver an engaging and wide-ranging reflection on the past year and share a vision for the road ahead. In his remarks, Jeremy offered warm thanks to Lord Best and acknowledged their long-standing collaboration, from the early days of the Lifetime Homes initiative through to the influential HAPPI reports and the ongoing work of the Older People’s Housing Taskforce.

He celebrated Housing LIN’s milestone of 15 years of independence from government, marking the occasion with gratitude to the many sponsors, partners, and colleagues whose support sustains our unique offering of free resources, learning events, thought leadership, and consultancy services. He cited the popularity of the London and Leeds Summits, both of which sold out quickly, and looked forward to further regional summits planned for spring 2026, potentially to coincide with the release of the APPG’s current inquiry into intergenerational communities.

Jeremy also spotlighted Housing LIN’s growing impact through its consultancy arm, with bespoke support delivered to local authorities, housing operators, and industry bodies. This has included customer insight work with Ipsos funded by Innovate UK, and strategic planning aligned to emerging policy and practice.

Further, he shared updates on Housing LIN’s ongoing role as Secretariat to the APPG’s new inquiry on intergenerational living, remarking that the acronym HAPPI could now evolve to mean 'Housing our Ageing Population: Planning for Intergenerational'!

Another key highlight of Jeremy’s speech was the recognition of the Housing LIN Future Leaders Programme, celebrating its 2024/25 cohort. He noted the overwhelming response to the recently closed 2025/26 application call, reflecting a growing appetite among early career professionals to shape the future of later life housing. The certificate presentation ceremony, delivered jointly with Ben Rosewall of sponsor Inspired Villages, marked a celebratory moment in the programme’s journey. Well done to all the Future Leaders. We look forward to following their progress.

Professor Julienne Meyer, Chair of the Older People’s Housing Taskforce, followed with reflections on two years of progress and recent evidence presented to the CLG Committee, before Sue Kay, CEO of the Vivensa Foundation, challenged the audience to consider bold innovations in housing design and support models. Emphasising Vivensa Foundation’s commitment to leadership and innovation, Sue outlined how blending the HAPPI design principles with the co-produced TAPPI framework and cultivating a strategic partnership with the Housing LIN will explore new models of integrated housing, care, and place-based support for older people. 

 

 

 

The event concluded with final remarks from Jeremy Porteus, who invited attendees to continue networking and engage with Housing LIN’s team on their diverse projects and initiatives.

Housing LIN extends sincere thanks to all attendees, speakers, and sponsors for making this year’s gathering both meaningful and memorable.