71% Unsure Of Right To Buy Purchase Price

Affordability remains a key issue in moderating demand for Right to Buy, says a new report. 71% of respondents said they did not know what the purchase price of their property would be, while 21% said they had a rough idea. The report, commissioned by the National Housing Federation and five participating housing associations, was conducted by the Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research at Sheffield Hallam University during 2016. It found regional variance in levels of tenant demand and property valuations, reflecting the different local markets in which the pilot was operating. Download the report from the Housingnet website.

Research Shows The Impact Of Welfare Reforms On Social Tenants

A new study by the Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research (CRESR) of Sheffield Hallam University shows that most recent welfare reforms will reduce the average income of a social rented household by around £1,300 a year– almost double what a private rented household will lose (£710), and more than five times the average loss of an owner occupied household (£230). Download the report from Sheffield Hallam website.

New Research Underway Into Quality of Social Landlord Data

The Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research (CRESR) at Sheffield Hallam University is undertaking new research into whether social landlords’ tenant data is truly fit for purpose. The research will focus on two key areas – how good landlords think their data is and what they’re doing to improve and consolidate it. The principle aim of the research is to ascertain how landlords can adapt to the future demands of Direct Payments. CRESR will target local authority landlords, ALMOs and housing associations across England, Scotland and Wales and seek responses to a web-based questionnaire. The focus of the survey is on issues of data quality, management, access and utility. The survey questionnaire can be accessed at the CRESR website.

True Plight of Squatters Exposed By Research

Squatters have been revealed as some of the most vulnerable of all homeless people by research published as the Government consultation into criminalisation of squatting comes to an end. The research reveals that squatters are more likely than other homeless people to suffer from a range of disadvantages, from mental and physical ill health to learning disabilities to drug and alcohol dependency. Squatting: a homelessness issue was undertaken by the Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research (CRESR), Sheffield Hallam University on behalf of Crisis. The report draws on analysis from a range of previous research into homelessness and squatting. The research concludes that criminalising squatters will criminalise a very vulnerable group of people and that far from being a criminal justice issue, squatting should be treated as a welfare and housing issue. Download a copy of the report from the Crisis website.