Kate Henderson has been appointed as the new chief executive of the National Housing Federation.

Currently the chief executive of the Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA), Kate will take up the post in early October. Kate succeeds David Orr who announced in January that he would be stepping down from the role this autumn.

Diana Warwick, Baroness Warwick of Undercliffe, chair of the National Housing Federation, said: “We had a very strong field of candidates for this critical role. It was never going to be easy to replace David, but the panel are delighted with the appointment we have made.

“Our challenge was to find someone who has the confidence and experience to engage at the highest levels in government, as well as the leadership credentials to win the trust of our diverse membership, inspire our team, and ensure the Federation is commercially successful and sustainable, now and in the future.

“We feel we have selected in Kate someone who can do all these things and more. She has proven herself to be a bold and effective leader at the TCPA. She gave us particular confidence in terms of her ability to build trust and rapport with our broad range of stakeholders.

“We are excited about the fact that she will bring fresh eyes to the role, has strong and relevant networks, and is knowledgeable and passionate about what we do.”

Kate is Chief Executive of Britain’s oldest charity concerned with planning, housing and the environment, the TCPA. She is responsible for leading the Association’s efforts to shape and advocate planning policies that put social justice and the environment at the heart of the debate.

Over the past decade Kate has raised the TCPA’s profile through a range of campaigns and policy initiatives, most notably around Garden Cities, affordable housing, poverty and climate change. She has been involved in a number of government panels and independent commissions including the Lyons Housing Review and the Raynsford Review of Planning.

Kate is a visiting professor at the Bartlett School of Planning at University College London, a Board member of the International Federation of Housing & Planning, and has co-authored various books on planning, including Rebuilding Britain: Planning for a Better Future and, more recently, The Art of Building a Garden City: Building New Communities for the 21st Century.

Kate Henderson added: “I am delighted to have been appointed chief executive of the National Housing Federation and am immensely looking forward to working with the team, Board, members and stakeholders.

“With housing at the top of the political and public agenda I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with ambitious housing associations across the country to continue the Federation’s impressive track record of shaping housing policy and ensuring housing associations are seen as key partners in delivering it.”