On 21^st November 2024, QCAP presented at the annual Private Sector Rented Conference 2024 alongside its community partner, Hosford Community Homes. The conference, hosted by Housing Rights, brought together a diverse audience including representatives from the local homeless and private rented sector, political representatives, and public officials from various government departments and agencies, including the Department for Communities.

The presentation showcased the development and impact of Hosford's transitional homeless housing model. This innovative community-based response has been in development since 2021, with crucial support from its host social enterprise, East Belfast Mission.

The team also explored the potential for community-led housing approaches across Northern Ireland. The discussion highlighted how place-based models such as Hosford could be advanced with enhanced technical support, a stronger enabling and policy environment, and improved access to competitive loan products and grant aid.

The conference served as a valuable platform to demonstrate the effectiveness of housing solutions that increase local housing supply. It also showcased how community-academic partnerships can be mobilised to address complex challenges like homelessness and support place-based transformational change.

For more information about the Hosford Community Homes model and how QCAP have supported its development and delivery through engaged research, please refer to the video overview from the link below: https://youtu.be/kU_JLnmHVfI