RESEARCH NEWS

News from Northern Ireland Housing Executive
• The 2006 House Condition Survey has recently been published. It presents comprehensive findings on the region’s housing stock including dwelling tenure and age, unfitness, state of repair, SAP ratings, Fuel Poverty and how Northern Ireland’s housing stock performs under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System. The report can be downloaded at: www.nihe.gov.uk/housing_conditions_survey_2006.pdf and www.nihe.gov.uk/2006_housing_conditions_survey_statistical_annex.pdf
• The Private Rented Sector Index 2007 has recently been published. Produced by the Housing Executive in partnership with PropertyNews.com and the University of Ulster, this report, which concentrates on the Belfast Metropolitan Area, provides the first detailed insight into the dynamics of the private rental market in Northern Ireland. Based on a sample of almost 5,400 rental transactions, the report provides analysis by location, property type and number of bedrooms, and also offers insights on average monthly rent. It is however an index which is in its early stages – other sources of information such as private sector Housing Benefit data will refine the index in the future.
• The Housing Research Bulletin for Autumn 2008 can be accessed at: www.nihe.gov.uk/housing_research_bulletin_autumn_2008.pdf. Highlights include the second and final phase of a project by Professor Chris Paris (University of Ulster) which examined the concentration, use and impact of second homes in Northern Ireland; and research on household energy consumption carried out among Housing Executive tenants as part of a larger project looking at energy consumption in three European States.