Genesis Housing Group held a breakfast seminar on Monday at One Birdcage Walk, Westminster , where leading players in the sector debated how best to tackle the complex issue of mixed-tenure management.

The issue of managing mixed-use schemes emerged from the last breakfast meeting held by Genesis in January as something that is fast moving up the agenda in the housing sector. With the new regulatory body being established and the Housing and Regeneration Bill being progressed through Parliament, issues such as how these schemes can be managed in a way that ensures high quality and choice, whilst also promoting flexibility and mobility for our customers, were explored.

Anu Vedi, Group Chief Executive of Genesis, opened the debate by acknowledging the complexities around mixed-tenure management, such as the impact decisions might have on values of outright sale, how the quality of design should be of paramount importance, and the trade-off between keeping service costs down while meeting the challenges of long-term sustainability.

Various viewpoints were put forward by speakers, Ian Fletcher, Director of Commercial and Residential Policy at the British Property Federation, David Hewitt, Executive Secretary at the Association of Residential Managing Agents, and Roy Evans, Director of Housing at Wandsworth Council.

Developers, the Housing Corporation, registered social landlords (RSLs) and local authorities were among those represented in the round-table discussion that followed. All agreed on the fundamental importance of sustainable, integrated management solutions, while David Hewitt noted "the need for this to take place on a level playing field with the correct interface between all involved". The point that we need to think about tenants from the start was also made.

RSLs came in for some criticism by Roy Evans for "poor management practices" - for example around managing anti-social behaviour. It was subsequently acknowledged by an RSL that indeed there was a need to be more competitive and professional, while involving residents in a meaningful way.

Local councils were also challenged, with one delegate directly asking that councils subsidise 24-hour concierge facilities for social housing tenants. Security seemed to be an issue that several people considered "the number one issue for home owners". Steve Coleman, Director of Development at Genesis, said "if you don't have a high level of service charge, such as concierge (including for social housing tenants), we will be knocking these blocks down again in a few years - all for the sake of a few quid."

Concrete initiatives such as Wandsworth's Hidden Homes programme and Genesis' Your Place concept were cited as leading the way towards effective mixed-tenure management and sustainable communities. Andy Von Bradsky, Managing Director at PRP, stated "I'm calling for designers to think about the design of effective facilities from the very start".

Anu Vedi made an interesting reference to Singapore "as an example of high density, high-rise living that works like clockwork. If we followed that model with its thoughtful rules, the world's population could be housed in a country the size of South Africa."

He concluded from the discussion that "Prevention is better than cure. We need to get it right first time, communicating and consulting appropriately. It's not just about securing value of the property in sustainable terms, but the value of the community needs to be sustainable. We need to upscale ourselves and share examples of management good practice.

This session was the second in a series of breakfast seminars that Genesis is running in 2008. The aim is for small groups of major players to get together to have frank and full debates about key issues of the day.

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For further information about Genesis Housing Group, or images,

please contact Diana Evans on 020 8150 4178 / email diana.evans@ghg.org.uk

Notes to editors

Genesis Housing Group provides homes and services to tens of thousands of people across London and the south east. The Group consists of PCHA, Pathmeads and Springboard housing associations. It also has a charitable foundation, Genesis Community, and is one of the largest and most successful housing groups in the UK. Genesis Housing Group owns and/or manages more than 40,000 homes across London and the south east. Its overiding aim is to put customers first and provide excellent service to all.