It has been a little over one year since we launched 'Better Procurement for Better Homes', a Housing Forum guide to help housing associations and local authorities procure and deliver high quality homes for their residents.

However, the 40-year-high inflation rate, fuelled by rising energy costs and global supply chain difficulties, has resulted in an extremely tough landscape for procuring construction work, as contractors and their specialists become reluctant to commit to fixed prices too far in advance of work starting. This has profound implications for clients trying to plan and budget for work.

We are pleased to have contributed to new supplementary guidance, once again led by the Housing Forum, to help steer through these obstacles. This document focuses on building trust, involving finance and procurement teams, managing risks equitably, engaging early and using flexible contracting, whilst holding onto the project vision and quality. You can find a copy here.