Jamie Ratcliff of Place Base Champions Action at The Great Housing Development Summit

As the housing sector continues to tackle the challenge of delivering more affordable, sustainable and high-quality homes across the UK, collaboration and practical action have never been more important. That’s exactly why The Great Housing Development Summit at UKREiiF 2026 is generating so much excitement across the industry.

Among the leading voices helping to shape the conversation is Jamie Ratcliff, Co-Founder of Place Base, who will be chairing a number of key sessions during the summit.

Jamie brings more than two decades of experience working across housing, regeneration and public policy. Through Place Base, he advises organisations on strategy, partnerships, funding and political engagement, helping to unlock housing delivery and create meaningful social impact.

Speaking ahead of the event, Jamie highlighted why The Great Housing Development Summit is such an important addition to UKREiiF.

“This is going to be my third time at UKREiiF and I’ve always found it a really interesting conference, but there’s been a clear gap in terms of housing-focused content. The Great Housing Development Summit is really going to fill that gap.”

The summit, hosted by the Housing & Development Network and The NSG in partnership with UKREiiF, is dedicated entirely to accelerating the delivery of affordable housing across the UK. Over three days, leaders from local authorities, housing associations, developers, investors and government will come together to tackle one of the country’s defining challenges — delivering 1.5 million new homes.

What makes the summit stand out is its strong focus on outcomes rather than simply conversation.

Jamie emphasised that the event is designed to bring together “doers and decision makers” who can help turn ideas into action. He will be chairing sessions focused on building safety, regional housing delivery and affordable housing, while also taking part in strategic roundtable discussions. One of the themes Jamie is particularly passionate about is improving support for first-time buyers without relying solely on public subsidy — something he believes could play a major role in unlocking housing supply.

“The really great thing about the summit is that it’s not just going to be a whole load of people talking, but it’s really focused on outcomes that matter.”

The Great Housing Development Summit promises to be a major meeting point for organisations committed to delivering real progress in housing and regeneration. With an agenda featuring panel discussions, workshops, networking opportunities and roundtables, the event is set to create meaningful conversations that extend far beyond the conference floor.

As momentum builds ahead of UKREiiF 2026 in Leeds, Jamie Ratcliff and Place Base are helping lead the call for practical collaboration, innovation and delivery across the housing sector. If the industry is serious about solving the housing crisis, events like The Great Housing Development Summit may prove to be exactly the kind of platform needed to move from ambition to action.