Shift To ‘Affordable Housing’ Happening At The Expense Of Social Rents

A combination of present policies and the use of affordability assessments has the potential to erode access to social housing for those seen as a financial risk, a new report says. Evidence put to CaCHE – the UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence, comprising 11 universities and three non-academic institutions – highlights the shift to ‘affordable’ housing in England is at the expense of provision of housing at social rents, accessible to those on the lowest incomes. The research outlines the need to critically question the affordability of the affordable housing sector, which CaCHE says is often taken for granted. Read more on 24housing.

https://www.24housing.co.uk/news/shift-to-affordable-housing-happening-at-the-expense-of-social-rents/

Housing Crisis Not Caused By Lack Of Supply

The UK’s housing crisis is not caused by a lack of supply and 300,000 new homes a year would not make a significant impact on house prices and rents, the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change has said. The thinktank, which published a report written for the UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence (CaCHE), said meeting the government’s 300,000 target would only cut house prices by around 10% over 20 years and that the supply shortage story was a “red herring”. Read more on Inside Housing.

https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/housing-crisis-not-caused-by-lack-of-supply-says-tony-blair-institute-62891?utm_source=Ocean%20Media%20Group&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=10820689_IH%20daily%2021%2F08%2F2019&dm_i=1HH2,6FXAP,8CKJV9,PJB67,1

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.