Stepping Onto the Pitch – Tech Conference 25 Opens with a Call for Action
Stepping Onto the Pitch: Housing Takes Its Place at Tech Conference 25
At Hampden Park this year, the energy was electric as Tech Conference 25 kicked off with a clear message: housing can’t afford to sit on the sidelines any longer.
Stephanie Elliot opened the event by welcoming delegates and celebrating 30 years of NHC Procurement, the conference’s main sponsor. She reflected on the success of the Technology Enabled Lives Network and its collaboration with the TSA — showing how procurement can become a driver of innovation and smarter, tech-enabled housing.
Then, Jean Gray, CEO of Viewpoint Housing Association and Chair of the Tech Board, took to the stage with a challenge:
“Is housing still on the bench?”
Jean’s keynote struck a chord with the packed audience. While other sectors have raced ahead with digital innovation, housing, she argued, has been “waiting for change” — struggling under the weight of affordability, sustainability, and homelessness pressures.
Sector realities:
Demand for homes far exceeds supply.
Ageing stock and retrofitting costs drain resources.
Tight funding and regulations mean housing teams must *do more with less*.
Jean highlighted digital transformation as both a challenge and an opportunity. Legacy systems, digital exclusion, and cyber concerns often slow progress — but the biggest barrier, she said, is culture. Staff need training, confidence, and the space to adopt new ways of working.
Her call to action was clear:
Housing is stepping onto the pitch – but we’re not quite there yet.
Smart, sustainable communities are the future.
We can’t afford to wait any longer.”
She urged leaders to see the whole person behind every tenancy and to build responsive, human-centred services.
The message set the tone for the rest of the conference: housing is ready to play, and technology is the ball that can change the game.