Christina Barham

Professional Profile

Christina has a wealth of experience in financial planning and covenant selection for mergers and acquisitions as well as growth/investment strategies. Alongside, a breadth of expertise in development structures, analysis and appraisals, treasury, and tax. This is supported by 20 years’ experience in housing, working closely with executives, boards, and the regulator. With a proven track record in challenging the norm and advising on new structures, Christina provides support and guidance to our clients.  

Core Expertise

• Financial Planning expert, brixx modelling and bespoke modelling 
• Business planning reviews to critically appraise key risks and provide 
  assurance to Boards 
• Regulatory reviews (FFR & SDR) technical expertise 
• Business plan stress testing and alignment to sector risk profile 
• Covenant Selection for mergers and acquisitions 
• Credit rating and VFM Metrics analysis and benchmarking 
• Conversant with affordable and commercial appraisal techniques of new projects and analysis of underperforming stock 

Project Experience

Project Name: Merger Plan

Date: September 2025 – March 2026

Role on Project: Provided independent financial appraisal to support the proposed merger of two medium sized housing associations, assessing the combined business plan and its impact on liquidity, credit rating, funding arrangements, lender covenants and development capacity. Undertook detailed stress testing alongside covenant and credit rating metric analysis to evaluate financial viability, identify funding and liquidity requirements, and clearly articulate both the financial benefits and associated risks of the merger. Produced two comprehensive reports for the Joint Steering Group, providing assurance on the financial implications and potential capacity generated, enabling fully informed decision making on whether to proceed with the merger. 

Project Name: Validation of Brixx Model and independent review of financial modelling, stress testing approach  and mitigation strategy

Date: September 2025

Role on Project: Provided independent assurance and validation of housing associations’ financial modelling, Brixx business planning and stress testing to confirm overall financial viability and robustness of business plan outputs. Advised on alignment with the Regulator of Social Housing Sector Risk Profile, recommending clear documentation of risk relevance, sensitivity to key assumptions and the specific stress tests applied. This demonstrated board level understanding of sector and external risks, their financial impact and the mitigating actions required, while taking account of wider implications for corporate and operational objectives, staff morale and customer outcomes. Confirmed the absence of material errors within Brixx plans, giving boards assurance that plans were rigorously reviewed as part of the approval process through to FFR submission, with recommendations provided on an exception basis to further strengthen business planning processes. 

Project Name: Financial Forecast Return (FFR) submissions to the regulator 

Date: June 2025

Role on Project: Provided regulatory return assurance through the preparation and review of FFR submissions for registered providers with portfolios of over 5,000 homes across England. Worked with multiple medium and large providers over several years to ensure timely submission, supported by appropriate documentation and clear commentary on any soft errors. This ensured returns accurately reflected board‑approved business plans and underlying assumptions, reduced regulatory queries and strengthened board confidence in the accuracy and compliance of submissions. As a result, data governance and submission quality were improved, reducing the risk of adverse regulatory scrutiny. 

Qualifications & Professional Memberships

• BA (Hons) Degree in Business Studies 
• Fellow of The Association of Certified Chartered Accountants (FCCA)