A new independent review team of housing experts has been appointed to ensuring the Defence Housing Strategy, that will be published later this year, meets the needs of Service personnel and families.
The review team members are:
Chair, Natalie Elphicke Ross OBE – Director and Head of Housing at The Housing & Finance Institute
Previously Natalie chaired the New Homes Quality Board on standards and redress for customers of new build homes. She co-chaired the Elphicke-House Report 2015 on the role of local authorities in housing supply and served as an expert adviser on the development of the national strategy for estate regeneration. A former law firm partner specialising in housing finance, Natalie’s experience includes advising central and local governments, lenders, developers and housing associations on financing, structuring and delivering homes across all tenures.
Bill Yardley – Chair of McCarthy Stone Shared Ownership Limited
Bill serves as chair of a regulated residential development company and is a Non- Executive Director at DIO, in the Houses of Parliament and at the Surrey Property Group Limited. He has previously worked at board level in the public and private sectors in residential development, regulated housing, property investment, education and the NHS and has been a Public Member of Network Rail and chaired a Charity. Bill has also served as a Crown Representative and on the Government Construction Board.
Cat Calder – Housing Specialist from Army Families Federation
Cat is a housing professional with over 13 years of experience advocating for improved living conditions for families in military accommodation. She has held key positions within the Army Families Federation and has direct experience of military housing, having previously lived in SFA for a number of years.
Nigel Holland – former Divisional Chair of Taylor Wimpey and Non-Executive Director of The Riverside Group
Formerly a Divisional Chair of Taylor Wimpey. Nigel is also a Non-Executive Director of The Riverside Group. He has a wealth of experience in the homebuilding industry, leading large-scale developments in the UK and overseas.
Alex Notay - Chair and Commissioner of Radix Big Tent Housing Commission
Alexandra is an internationally recognised expert on housing, placemaking and ESG. She has 20 years’ strategic advisory and investment experience across four continents and in August 2024 took over as Chair of the Radix Big Tent Housing Commission. Until July 2024 she was Placemaking and Investment Director at Thriving Investments, the fund and asset management arm of Places for People Group, overseeing a UK-wide residential strategy.
James Hall – Housing & Land, Greater London Authority
James has over a decade’s experience in housing and development, working with the public, private and not-for-profit sectors. He worked extensively on strategy, policy and communications in Westminster and Whitehall, and most recently worked at the Greater London Authority on housing policy and delivery.