This roundup provides a selection of recent research and reports across a range of strategic housing topic areas. If you’d like to suggest any research to be included in future editions, please get in contact.
Housing demand
This House of Commons library briefing sets out information on the levels and rates of poverty in the UK, including historical trends and forecasts for future years, as well as poverty by employment status, tenure, ethnic group, disability, region and constituency.
This JRF report combines a range of statistical data with input from a lived experience group across a range of poverty drivers including employment, earnings, benefits, housing costs and inflation.
This report from the Centre for Ageing Better has identified that people in their 50s and 60s today are facing greater challenges than those who were the same age in 2002. The report finds some 2.6 million people will more likely experience an old age marred by multiple, long-term problems such as poor health and poor finances, and will be at risk of loneliness and isolation. Poverty is also already on the rise amongst this group.
Homelessness
Statutory Homelessness October to December 2021: England – Official Statistics Release
This release from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities provides statistics for statutory homelessness assessments and activities in England between 1 October and 31 December 2021.
Insights into the use of modular housing in addressing homelessness
This research from the Centre for Homelessness Impact provides an overview of current modular and container housing provision in the UK providing temporary accommodation for people experiencing homelessness and begins to explore whether such housing projects are effective.
Rough Sleeping (England) – Research Briefing
This House of Commons Library Research briefing provides a summary of the latest statistics and policies relating to rough sleeping in England.
This research from the National Housing Federation investigates the criticisms facing housing associations that they are not doing enough around homelessness or have practices that exclude people who are homeless.
Backsliding support and backfiring messaging: the homelessness conversation needs a reframe
This article from the USA shares research findings on what works and what doesn’t work in securing public support for policies and actions to tackle homelessness.
Religion’s role in community integration after homelessness
This open access article published by the Housing Studies journal shares research from Miami that found individuals in supportive housing struggle to join conventional religious congregations as they continue to grapple with the long-term impacts of trauma, discrimination and stigma.
The promises and pitfalls of administrative data linkages for tackling homelessness
This report commissioned by the Centre for Homelessness Impact and published in the European Journal of Homelessness draws on published research and uses case studies of linkages undertaken by one of the authors to reflect on the promises and pitfalls of administrative data linkage to understand and tackle homelessness.
Homelessness and Street Homelessness in England
This article commissioned by the Centre for Homelessness Impact and published in the European Journal of Homelessness sets out the policy context on homelessness and street homelessness in England and provides an overview of how improvements to the available data and evidence have contributed to, and influenced, policy-making.
PRS
Every seven minutes a private renter in England is given eviction notice
This article shares statistics on the number of private renters served with a Section 21 notice since 2019.
This report from the House of Commons Committee of Public Accounts details the findings and recommendations of their inquiry into the regulation of private renting.
Adapting the private rented sector
This report from the NRLA explores the role of private landlords in delivering adapted and accessible properties for disabled, older and vulnerable tenants.
Development
This open access article published by People, Place and Policy journal identifies six risks to fuel poor households in the rush to move to low-carbon energy sources and technologies.
Councils in England are failing to use new powers to block shoddy housing schemes
This article summarises research by UCL-based Place Alliance that found the power to refuse ‘development that is not well designed’ has mostly been used by south-east councils, with other areas lacking experience and expertise to take on large, well-resourced developers.
This document reports on the progress of Hy4Heat, a BEIS-funded project to establish if it’s technically possible, safe and convenient to replace natural gas with hydrogen in residential and commercial buildings and gas appliances.
This report from LSE aims to set out the potential for small community-based organisations to deliver homes for people in need, within their own communities, and uncovers innovative examples and models for how this can be done.
Net zero ready new build housing: benefits and barriers to delivery
This report from the Cambridge Centre for Housing & Planning Research investigates how housebuilders in the affordable housing sector can plan effectively for a zero-carbon future by exploring the main challenges and opportunities in delivering net-zero carbon-ready new-build housing in the affordable housing sector.
Do older homebuyers prefer dwellings with accessibility and adaptability features?
This exploratory study found that homebuyers in England aged 50 and over were significantly more likely to select dwellings with step-free access and adaptable bathrooms and were willing to pay significantly more to purchase them.
Supported housing / specialised housing
Housing schemes for older people helping to alleviate loneliness
This blog shares some of the findings of the three-year DICE (Diversity in Care Environments) study into the ways in which housing with care and support schemes support the inclusion of older residents from different social groups and backgrounds. Up to now there has been little evidence as to how effective these kinds of housing schemes are in alleviating loneliness and social isolation.
Meeting the needs of specific groups
Smarter homes for independent living
This report from Policy Connect, a cross-party think tank, provides recommendations for government, local authorities, the health and social care sector and technology companies on how the country can take advantage of substantial advances in smart homes and related technologies so that disabled and older people can lead more independent and fulfilling lives.
This research, commissioned by the Independent Food Ain Network and JRF, was completed by a Mental Health Social Worker and freelance researcher. It shares a number of lived experience accounts of the impact of poverty, particularly food poverty, on their mental health.
Partnerships with health and social care sector
Commissioning for a better future: a starter for ten
This report from the Social Care Institute for Excellence shares an outline framework for adult social care commissioners to move towards operating as an ‘asset-based area’. It’s based on a two-day Social Care Innovation Network session with people with lived experience, families, commissioners and innovative support providers.
A vision for population health: towards a healthier future
This vision document from The King’s Fund sets out a framework for population health centred on four pillars: the wider determinants of health; our health behaviours and lifestyles; the places and communities we live in; and an integrated health and care system.
