New Research Centre To Inform UK Housing Policy

ESRC, the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation have announced the new UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence (CaCHE). The national research centre, which will be independent from government and other interests, is a collaboration between nine UK Universities and four non-HEI organisations and will have staff located at five hubs across the UK in Glasgow, Sheffield, London, Cardiff and Belfast. CaCHE will be led by the University of Glasgow. CaCHE will advance knowledge of the housing market, provide robust evidence to inform housing policy and practice across the UK, and will join together a comprehensive range of stakeholders with the goal of tackling housing problems at a national, devolved, regional, and local level. Read more on the ESRC website.

UK Urged To Relax Green Belt Restrictions To Tackle Housing Crisis

Britain should relax planning restrictions in green belt areas to help deal with its housing crisis, an international economic think tank has recommended. Shortage of housing was one of a number of factors identified by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) as holding back UK growth, alongside poor skills and a lack of investment in infrastructure and research. Among its other recommendations were more toll roads, an expansion in vocational education and lifelong learning and better provision of social housing. Read more on the Belfast Telegraph website.

The Variable Impact Of The LHA Cap Across Different Areas

The CIH, in collaboration with Riverside, have produced a research report on supported housing which covers:

·         The significant variation in the Local Housing Allowance (LHA) cap across the country

·         Rents and service charges for supported and sheltered housing are relatively consistent across the country for similar types of scheme.

·         A higher LHA cap would reduce the numbers of people affected by the new system

·         A relatively small increase in the LHA cap for older people living in sheltered housing would have a large impact in reducing the number of people reliant on the local top up

·         A higher LHA cap could go some way to simplifying the new system

Download the report from the CIH website.

Social Landlords Fund Research Into Universal Credit

A London council has commissioned independent research into the effects of Universal Credit on social housing tenants. Peabody Trust, Family Mosaic and Croydon Council have backed the council’s decision to commission research on the impact of Universal Credit (UC) and will all pay towards the costs. Labour-led Southwark Council said the full roll-out of Universal Credit in some parts of the borough, coupled with changes made through the Housing and Planning Act, has represented “an onslaught on social housing – and on council tenants in particular”. The research will cost £56,250, with Peabody, Family Mosaic and Croydon Council contributing £22,500. The Smith Institute has been commissioned to carry out the research. Read more on Inside Housing.

Research Reveals Tenant Debt Is Widening Income Divide

Research into the impact of financial and economic changes on households has uncovered a widening income disparity between tenants, with additional debts reducing financial resilience for those at the bottom end. The longitudinal research project – Challenging Times, Changing Lives – follows 20 tenants, including single people and couples, over three years, to assess how people are coping with austerity measures, including changes to welfare benefits. The fourth report, in a series of six-monthly updates, reveals the lowest income group is experiencing a greater struggle than previously reported.  This group has taken on more debts to cover sudden and unforeseen changes in benefit entitlement and the deepening impact of the bedroom tax. Read more on the Riverside 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.

Bedroom Tax Pushes Households into Debt

People hit by the bedroom tax are cutting back on essentials such as food and heating, according to new research from the National Housing Federation. An Ipsos MORI survey carried out for the Federation found that nearly a third (32%) of people affected by the bedroom tax say they have cut back on food and more than a quarter (26%) have cut back on heating as a result of the tax. Nearly half (46%) of those affected have needed to borrow money to help pay their rent since the introduction of the bedroom tax in April 2013¹. - Read more on the NHF website. 

Housing – Parliamentary Written Answer

Mr Raynsford: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he expects to publish the findings of the research he commissioned from the University of Sheffield into the New Homes Bonus.  

Kris Hopkins: The Department is undertaking a wider evaluation of the New Homes Bonus; its findings will be published in due course.

Need For Food Banks Is Caused By Welfare Cuts, Research Shows

The government's welfare reforms, including benefit sanctions and the bedroom tax, are a central factor in the explosion in the numbers of impoverished people turning to charity food banks, an academic study has said. The study was carried out by Hannah Lambie-Mumford, a Sheffield University researcher who co-authored a recently published government report into the extent of food aid in the UK. That report concluded there was insufficient evidence to demonstrate a clear causal link between welfare reform and food bank demand in the UK. But Lambie-Mumford's new study says the rise in demand for charity food is a clear signal "of the inadequacy of both social security provision and the processes by which it is delivered". The report warns that as social security safety nets become weaker, there is a danger that charity food could become an integral part of the state welfare provision, or even a replacement for formerly state-funded emergency welfare schemes. Read more on the Guardian website.

Over 200,000 Homes in England at Risk

1 in every 105 households in England is at risk of repossession or eviction, according to new statistics released by Shelter. The research found hotspots up and down the country where the risk of losing your home is even higher. These include Nottingham and Luton, both with 1 in 60 homes at risk, Salford (where 1 in 61 homes are at risk), and Newcastle upon Tyne and Wolverhampton (both with 1 in 63 homes at risk). The research also highlights the extent of the capital’s housing crisis, with London boroughs – where there is a serious lack of affordable housing – dominating the top twenty. Shelter’s research found that the London borough of Newham has the highest risk of repossession or eviction in the country, with as many as 1 in every 35 homes at risk. Read more on the Shelter website.

Gloomy Winter for Those Without Shelter

Research by Homeless Link has found that last winter emergency homeless shelters played a vital role in preventing the deaths of many rough sleepers.

A survey revealed that 4,863 people sought shelter from the cold during the last winter, a quarter of whom had not approached services for help before. With the number of people rough sleeping having gone up by 31% in the past two years, the research indicates that more areas provided winter-long shelter last year and stayed open for longer, on average six months, because of the prolonged cold snap.  However, changes to welfare could leave many services facing a challenging winter this year. The survey showed that a third of shelters were funded to some extent by housing benefit, but there remains a great deal of uncertainty over whether these payments will continue once Universal Credit is launched.  Read more on the Homeless Link website.

Landlords Exit LHA Market

According to research from the National Landlords Association (NLA), the number of landlords letting to tenants in receipt of local housing allowance (LHA) has fallen to 27 per cent, a seven per cent reduction since quarter one and a five per cent reduction year on year.  38 per cent of ALL landlords are worried about the impact of Universal Credit and over half (51%) of landlords actively choose not to let to LHA recipients or other benefit claimants. The reluctance to let to this market is strongest amongst the smaller landlords, with six in ten ruling out letting to this tenant type.  In contrast, the most popular tenant types are families with young children (51% of landlords let to this market) and young couples (51% of landlords also let to this market).  Read more on the NLA website.

Study to Reveal 'Human Impact' Of Welfare Reforms

The human impact of the government's welfare reforms is to be revealed in a major study of households across the north of England. Seven social housing providers have joined forces to investigate how changes to the benefits system affect people’s health, housing, wellbeing, finances, education and employment prospects. More than 70 households will take part in the research.  It is hoped the findings will allow the participating landlords to better understand the impact on their customers of sweeping reforms – ranging from the bedroom tax to changes to Jobseeker’s Allowance. The landlords – who will each work intensively with around 10 households for at least 18 months – also hope the 'Real Life Reform' research will provide information to shape their own policies, influence decision-making and inform national policy-makers.  Read more on 24dash.

Bedroom Tax Could Make 1000s Homeless

Research at False Economy shows that a severe shortage of one-bedroom properties will hit tens of thousands unless new homes are built.  Data from 107 local authorities shows 86,000 households have been forced to look for one-bedroom homes, of which only 33,000 have become available in the past year.  The figures mask considerable regional variation. In Essex, 100 social housing tenants in Rochford were deemed to require a one-bedroom property because of the benefit changes but only five had become vacant the previous year. In Gloucester the council said 111 one-bed homes had been available last year, but almost 500 households needed them because of the bedroom tax. Read more on the False Economy website.

Call To Improve Stability for Renting Families

A new report from Shelter has uncovered the damaging impact of a childhood spent in England’s volatile private rental market.  The report, ‘Growing up renting’, reveals that families with children are bearing the brunt of the insecure tenancies, high rents, and constant moves that are standard in today’s market.  It's based on research with over 4,000 private renters – the largest study of its kind ever conducted.  1 in 5 families in England now rent privately, yet tenancy contracts of just 6 or 12 months are the norm. Government research shows that renting families are nine times as likely to have moved in the last year than families who own their homes.  The report reveals many problems created by short-term tenancies.  Download a copy from the Shelter website.

Website Tracking Council Tax Benefit Changes Launched

A think tank has launched a website tracking changes to council tax support in England.  Council Tax Support Update has been launched by the New Policy Institute, which produces evidence-based research on a range of social and economic issues including income, work, housing and poverty.  The data, which covers local authorities in England, provides information on each of the schemes agreed.  According to the site, 86 councils have decided (or are in the final stages of deciding) their CTS schemes for April 2013. They must have their local schemes in place by the end of January. View the website by clicking on the logo below.

Mencap Study Finds Shortage of Homes Is Increasing

The housing shortage for adults with learning difficulties has worsened in the last year according to research from a leading disabilities charity.  Mencap has warned increasing financial constraints have meant councils are less able to support people with a learning disability, with fewer and fewer being helped to live independently.  A freedom of information request and a survey of nearly 500 parent carers of people with a learning disability found that eight out of 10 councils recognise that there is a housing shortage for adults with a learning disability in their areas, with more than two thirds saying this has worsened in the last 12 months.  Download the report - Housing for people with a learning disability – from the Mencap website.

Homelessness Predicted To Rise

Young people and families are set to bear the brunt of rising homelessness, says new Crisis research.  More people are becoming homeless in England as the impacts of cuts to housing benefit start to bite against the backdrop of the continuing economic downturn – with young people and families with children first in the firing line, new research has revealed. The Homelessness Monitor is a major five-year independent study into the impact of the economic downturn and policy developments on homelessness across the UK.  The report also says there is much worse to come, particularly for young people and families with children.  Download a summary of the report from the Crisis website.

'Thousands Will Be Forced Out Of London by Welfare Reforms'

New research examining the effects of April 2013's welfare reforms concludes that councils will be forced to send thousands of families outside of London. The report, carried out by Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) and Lasa, a welfare rights charity, found that government impact assessments are predicting that 124,480 London households will be affected by cuts to the Local Housing Allowance, the introduction of the benefit cap and under occupation penalties.  Based on interviews with council officers and advice agencies, “Between a rock and a hard place: the early impacts of welfare reform on London” found that many local authorities are actively considering procuring accommodation outside the city. However, some fear legal action as a result of such a move. Download a copy of the report from the CPAG website.

Young Homeless People Need a Helping Hand, Not More Hurdles to Clear

It's a sad but simple truth that one third of people accepted by councils for help with homelessness in the first half of 2012 were young people. What's more, the single biggest cause of homelessness among the under-25s is relationship breakdown with family or friends.  Iain Duncan Smith's proposal to limit housing benefit for this very group risks damaging the future prospects of those who most need our help. Becoming independent, with your own home and job, is tough for many of today's young who face rising rents and high unemployment rates. For those with no family home, such as those leaving care, or no option but to move out, realising your potential can be even harder. According to research we undertook last year (which we are in the process of repeating), the majority of young people who are seen by homeless charities are already in a disadvantaged position. Many are not in any form of education, employment or training, nearly half are in financial difficulty and one in four has already slept rough. There is clear evidence that the longer someone stays without a home, the more likely they are to develop complex problems and become trapped in a cycle of deprivation from which it can be difficult to escape.  Read more on the Guardian website.