Public sector expert Dr Norman Perry has spoken out about the increased value housing associations have brought to their towns and cities over the past ten years.

The head of public services at law firm HBJ Gateley Wareing was speaking at an event designed to help housing associations find new sources of funding for their regeneration and development programmes through the issuance of bonds.

Dr Perry, former Chief Exec of the Housing Corporation and Solihull MBC, was hosting an event at the law firm’s Birmingham offices for housing chiefs. Housing Association bosses from across the Midlands gathered for a briefing on how the bond markets can generate capital for new affordable housing.

Henrietta Podd and Amelia Henning, from RBC Capital Markets Europe took the audience through the process of issuing a bond for social and affordable housing, and highlighted the huge interest in the UK affordable housing market among international investors. The event was co-sponsored by HBJ Gateley Wareing and Baker Tilly accountants, who supply auditing services to a large number of housing associations.

Dr Norman Perry, Chair of the Public Services Group at HBJ Gateley Wareing said: 'Housing Associations in the UK are solid and reliable providers with an excellent financial covenant, backed by proven and effective regulation. In the current public finances climate, it makes sense to access international capital markets for the flow of resources needed to maintain the supply of affordable housing.'