News from Cambridge Centre for Housing and Planning Research

New Appointments at CCHPR
Professor Michael Oxley, BSc (econ), MSc, PhD will take up the post of Director of CCHPR on 1st January 2014 succeeding Peter Williams who will continue as a fellow in the Centre. Mike is currently Professor of Housing at De Montfort University and a Visiting fellow at Delft University of Technology. After a lectureship in Economics at Reading University, he joined De Montfort in 1974, becoming Director of the Centre for Comparative Housing Research in 1995. He moved to Nottingham Trent University in 1999 to head the Centre for Residential Development before returning to De Montfort in 2005. Mike has an extensive publication list including his book Economics, Planning and Housing, published by Palgrave in 2004 and strong track record in funded research including the ESRC.

Sam Morris joins CCHPR from IFF Research, one of the largest independent research companies in the UK covering public and private sectors. Sam has a BA in Geography and a MA in Environment and Development. Between 2007 and 2011 he worked for Fordham Research on housing needs and strategic housing market assessments. Sam has a wide range of research expertise covering survey design and data analysis. He is working on the JRF funded project on poverty and housing organisations and the Shelter backed study on property investment.

New outputs
New estimates of housing demand and need in England, 2011-2031, by Alan Holmans
Key findings include the abrupt break with longer term trends in household formation in England between 2001 and 2011. Net additional household formation was down by some 20%,with almost 1 million fewer one-person households in 2011 than had been projected.
There were also other large scale shifts in the mix of household types, with far more couple-plus-other-adult households and multi-adult households than expected. In part this is about younger people staying at home or sharing accommodation for longer. But that is not the whole story as changes are observed in all age groups.
The official projections include the effects of the financial crisis and the subsequent recession, but these are not the only reason why household formation was so far below trend. A full copy of the paper is available from CCHPR

Managing hearing loss in vulnerable groups of the Cambridgeshire D/deaf communities　
This study is the second of two pieces of research exploring the use of different services in Cambridgeshire by people who are D/deaf. The first study found that there were gaps in service provision and knowledge about three vulnerable groups:
1. Older people in rural isolated areas
2. Older people in care homes
3. D/deaf people in need of advocacy services
This second report presents the findings of how these three groups are supported to manage their hearing loss in Cambridgeshire. Download the PDF here

The changing delivery of planning gain through Section 106 and the Community Infrastructure Levy The aim of this research was to consider the issues shaping the delivery of planning obligations through S106 and to explore the potential impact of the new Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), particularly on the delivery of affordable housing. It builds on a previous study exploring the impact of the downturn on delivery of planning obligations through S106 and the impact of the transition to the CIL. The findings show that it is the complex interplay of local market conditions, site specific factors, local policy, practice and expertise that shape the level of planning gain that is viable on individual schemes, rather than simply the CIL rate or affordable housing policy. Download a PDF version here

Building an effective safety net for home owners and the housing market
Mortgage arrears and possessions have not risen to the levels suffered in the last housing market downturn – mainly due to the sharp fall in interest rates, and temporary industry and Government support measures – but with the downturn continuing they are forecast to rise substantially.Mortgage arrears are a systemic feature of home-ownership. Events beyond the control of the households concerned – e.g. loss of income due to unemployment, ill-health or household break-ups – cannot be eradicated by a more prudent mortgage lending regime.The current UK safety net for home-buyers is patchy, and is set to be weakened further under Universal Credit and with a further decline in the take-up of mortgage payment protection insurance because of new rules governing the sales process. Voluntary take-up had already declined before the downturn so there can be no credible return to the prior policy of relying on this.The study highlights two key options for providing a more effective safety net while balancing out risks, responsibilities, roles and costs. The most effective would be a compulsory new partnership, similar to the Sustainable Home Ownership Partnership (SHOP) scheme. The scope and costs of the scheme could be modified by making longer-term benefit payments a charge on the borrowers' homes. A second option would be a new partnership structure based around continued forbearance, an auto-enrolled private insurance system and a state-backed payment system, with longer-term costs being charged to homes. This report is available from the JRF website

Social housing in the East: Challenges for the region and implications for the UK
This report is designed to inform the strategic thinking of national and local government and the social housing sector. It also aims to build public understanding of the key challenges and opportunities that the region will face in the future. Download the report here

Analysis of the potential value for money to the public purse of the Lincolnshire Home Improvement Agency Housing Options Advice service
This report analyses the potential savings to the public purse of the Lincolnshire Home Improvement Agency (LHIA) housing options advice service. The methodology builds on research conducted for the large scale evaluation of the national FirstStop service conducted by the University of Cambridge. The analysis shows that the service has the potential to not only improve the quality of life, health, wellbeing and social isolation of individuals who use the housing options service, but to also generate savings to the public purse by preventing homelessness, unwanted or early entry into residential care, falls in the home, health deterioration as a result of unsuitable housing and can reduce under-occupation and free up much needed family housing, whilst helping older people to remain healthy and independent in the most suitable housing for their needs. A PDF version of this report can be downloaded here

New Projects
Evaluation of the FirstStop Information and Advice Initiative
FirstStop is an independent, free service offering advice and information to older people, their families and carers about housing and care options in later life. It is led by the charity Elderly Accommodation Counsel (EAC) in partnership with other national and local organisations and funded by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG). FirstStop delivers information and advice through a national telephone helpline and website. FirstStop has also seed-funded a number of local information and advice services which aim to raise the profile of housing options for older people in their area and to provide a face to face case work service to older people. The Cambridge Centre for Housing and Planning Research has been evaluating the FirstStop service since 2009 and will continue to work closely with FirstStop through 2013/14.

Poverty focused review of housing organisations’ strategic and business plans The Joseph Rowntree foundation has commissioned CCHPR to carry out a poverty-focussed review of housing organisations’ strategic and business plans. With input from Savills, this project will explore where poverty fits within the strategies, policies and business plans of local authorities, housing associations and private landlords. It will involve detailed analysis of business plans, housing and organisational strategies, annual reports, tenancy strategies, allocations and lettings policies and other relevant strategies. It will also assess the implementation of strategies, policies and business plans, with a view to assessing how far practice converges with, or diverges from, strategy. It will cover different housing market areas in order to assess how far housing market type is a factor affecting organisations or individuals approach to addressing poverty within their strategic and operational functions.

News from Cambridge Centre for Housing and Planning Research

NEW OUTPUTS
Equity Release amongst older home owners
There is increasing interest in the role the use of equity release products can play in coping with some of the pressures of an ageing population. This study analyses what we already know about the use of equity release products by older homeowners to identify what might it be valuable to research further.
The scoping study reviews our understanding and knowledge from research on the use (or not, in most cases) of equity release products by older homeowners. It pulls together findings from the existing literature, reviews different data sets and draws on stakeholder discussions to identify what is already known about equity release in later life; what is missing from the current evidence base and the key research questions that need tackling in relation to likely future policy directions.
For more details and downloads go to Equite Release amongst older home owners
 
International review of land supply and planning systems
The Joseph Rowntree Foundation has just published an international review of land supply and planning systems conducted by CCHPR, looking at what works and whether successful mechanisms from other countries could be transferred to the UK context. The review suggests that land supply is a key issue contributing to housing market volatility and problems of housing affordability in the UK.

The three main messages from the research are:

• There is no one single measure that will solve the problem – all countries struggle with balancing the need to constrain urban sprawl with the need to build sufficient homes to keep housing (more) affordable.
• But some countries, while having hot spots with high demand for housing and pressure on urban boundaries, do provide adequately outside these high pressure areas.
• Successful countries appear to be much more pro-active in the land market than the UK.

The role of the private rented sector in preventing homelessness: identifying good practice and the impact of policy change
The Oak Foundation has commissioned research that focuses on good practice that is demonstrated through Oak funded projects and looks more broadly at other successful practices and models

Support in the preparation of a housing strategy for the State of Jersey
The States of Jersey has commissioned CCHPR to provide support to its embryonic Strategic Housing unit in the preparation of an island wide, cross tenure Housing Strategy. The project comprises a series of papers for discussion with officers and the relevant Ministers between November 2012 and April 2013, leading to the production of a public Consulation Paper for circulation in May and a final Strategy Paper for debate in the States Assembly in June/July 2013.

Impact of welfare reform on housing associations – 2012 Baseline report
The National Housing Federation has commissioned Ipsos MORI and Cambridge Centre for Housing and Planning Research to assess how welfare reform impacts across the housing association sector in England.
The first component of the research programme is to establish baseline data and understand pre-emptive behaviour change before the reforms come into force. This will be a precursor to monitoring impact after April 2013, up to March 2014. To download the report go to Welfare Reform Impact Assessment

Evaluation of the FirstStop information and advice initiative for older people: findings 2011/2012
A comprehensive information and advice service enabling older people to better plan ahead for their future housing and care needs is a key requirement if Britain is to cope successfully with its ageing society. The evaluation of FirstStop shows how it is helping older people to make difficult decisions about their housing and care. To download the report go to FirstStop Evaluation

Changing the profile of social housing
New analysis by CCHPR models the likely impact of allocating a larger proportion of social housing to working households. The analysis draws on CORE data to look at the implications for different groups of housing applicants. It concludes that giving greater priority to people in work is likely to be at odds with allocating to those in greatest need. To download the report go to Changing the profile of social housing

NEW PROJECTS
Evaluation of the Housing and Other Benefit Measures in the Social Rented Sector (social sector size criteria and the benefit cap)
The DWP recently announced that CCHPR, together with Ipsos MORI, have been commissioned by the DWP to evaluate housing benefit changes in the social rented sector.
The size criteria for the social rented sector, introduced in April 2013, are part of a range of welfare reform measures, including the household benefit cap, to reduce expenditure and improve work incentives. Social tenants of working age who under-occupy will lose either 14% or 25% of their eligible housing benefit, depending on whether they have one or two or more spare rooms.
The evaluation seeks to understand the impact of the size criteria on claimants, landlords and other stakeholders and to explore how households respond to the reduction in their benefits.

Reselling Shared Ownership properties after improvements
This short research project has been commissioned by Thames Valley Housing Association in order to examine the practice of reselling shared ownership homes after the owner has undertaken (and paid for) improvements to their home. Further details available here.

Exploring perspectives on market based mechanisms for development
This project is a collaboration between CCHPR, the Department of Geography and the Office of External Affairs and Communications at the University of Cambridge. Further details available here.


    

NEWS FROM CHR ST ANDREWS

CHR Event: Facing the Challenges to Housing Scotland's People
The Centre for Housing Research sponsored a one day roundtable on February 3 to seek consensus on the housing issues that need urgent attention in Scotland. Organised by Knowledge Exchange Specialist, Sharon Chisholm, the event was intended to discuss and agree on the important issues by stimulating a conversation with key stakeholders. Grainia Long of CIH, kicked the day off with a stimulating review of where we have come to, what opportunities have been missed and the urgent need for immediate action. Michael Lennon, Derek Ballantyne and Per Ahren provided international perspectives and a host of other presentations focused on key issues across all tenures.

Carnegie Funded Research: Housing Associations and the 'Big Society'
Dr Kim McKee has been awarded a Carnegie Foundation small grant to research the impact of the big society on housing policy in Scotland. Focusing on the community-based housing sector in Scotland and the role of housing associations as ‘community anchors’, this exploratory qualitative study will deconstruct the ideas underpinning the big society and explore the strengths and weaknesses of this political ideology for housing policy and practice. It will report in the Spring.

New research project from CHR
Entitled ‘Mind the (Housing) Wealth Gap: Intergenerational Justice and Family Welfare’, this three year project is concerned with the wealth inequalities and injustice that exist not only between but within generations. It is being funded by the Leverhulme Trust and will be led by Dr Beverley Searle, combining expertise from the Universities of St Andrews (Dr Kim McKee, and Professor Duncan Maclennan), Durham (Professor Lorna Fox), Birmingham (Professor Karen Rowlingson) and Delft (Dr Maarten van Ham). Access to private wealth (notably housing wealth) is of increasing political and social importance. It not only determines the quality of life for older people but increasingly determines life chances of younger people. This new project will explore concerns of intergenerational justice and the new tensions between family members arising from competing demands - inheritance vs welfare – on families limited wealth resources. Understanding these issues will become vital to addressing the inequalities and injustices that current and future generations experience.For further information please contact Dr Beverley Searle at bas4@st-andrews.ac.uk

RESIDENT INVOLVEMENT IN SOCIAL HOUSING IN THE UK AND EUROPE

Resident involvement in social housing is about how tenants or others living nearby can influence a social landlord’s activity. The remit of such influence may range from contributing to landlord decisions on local service delivery, at one end of spectrum, to bearing on an organisation’s strategic policy, at the other. Irrespective of whether it incorporates governing body membership, resident involvement is an aspect of housing and urban governance. This research was commissioned by Hyde Housing Group to inform further development of the Group’s governance and accountability structures and procedures. To obtain a copy of the report go to http://www.hyde-housing.co.uk/library/special-publications

News from BSHF

BSHF has published a report tackling the issue of housing undersupply in the UK. The shortage of housing impacts on the economy, society as a whole, as well as individual households.

There is a range of different causes of this undersupply, which have been exacerbated by the current financial constraints. The government has made a high level commitment to addressing these issues, and are introducing a range of policy measures with the aim of increasing supply. However, the report argues that there is a lack of coherence in these policies and that a strategic approach is needed to tackle the scale of the housing crisis. Four strategic objectives are proposed covering the full scope of the problem from land supply to finance.

The report is available to order or for free download from the BSHF website:
http://www.bshf.org/published-information/publication.cfm?lang=00&thePubID=25E04994-15C5-F4C0-99170AE24B5B0A84

News from Building and Social Housing Foundation (BSHF)

Welfare Reform
BSHF has been paying particular attention to the government’s proposed welfare reforms:

• The findings of last year’s consultation at St George’s House, Windsor Castle were published as ‘Support with Housing Costs: Developing a simplified and sustainable system’. Further details are available from http://www.bshf.org/published-information/publication.cfm?lang=00&thePubID=AB588DD9-15C5-F4C0-993D5892C8E1DCC1
• Jim Vine appeared before the Work and Pensions select committee to discuss proposals for the Universal Credit.
• A short paper was published on the impact of claimant numbers on welfare expenditure. It suggests that relatively small changes in the underlying assumptions on unemployment and economic inactivity lead to large changes in both the number of claimants and overall Housing Benefit expenditure. Further details are available from http://www.bshf.org/published-information/?lang=00

Self-help housing
BSHF has been working with HACT, Self-Help-Housing.org and the Third Sector Research Centre on self-help housing. A report will be published in the spring on this community driven approach to tackling empty properties.