Three-Quarters Of British Public Believe There Is A Housing Crisis

Almost three-quarters of people across Great Britain believe there’s a housing crisis – and more than half think it’s not spoken about enough, according to a new survey by Ipsos MORI for the Chartered Institute of Housing. As outlined in reports, 57% think that the rising cost of housing will impact on them personally a great deal or a fair amount in the next five years – with 56% saying the same of ‘Brexit’. Overall 55% of the public, and 68% of renters, think housing has been discussed too little in Britain over the last few years. Read more on 24housing.

https://www.24housing.co.uk/news/three-quarters-of-british-public-believe-there-is-a-housing-crisis/

Three-Quarters Of Universal Credit Claimants Unaware Of Missed Rent Consequences

A government survey of people using the full-service Universal Credit system published today revealed that just 25% of claimants knew their payment could be reduced by up to 20% if they regularly fail to pay the rent on time. The survey, carried out by Ipsos MORI on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), also found that 76% of claimants knew they are required to inform the Jobcentre about changes to their rent, while 60% were aware they had to report rent-free weeks. Read more on Inside Housing.

https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/news/three-quarters-of-universal-credit-claimants-unaware-of-missed-rent-consequences-60363

Housing In Crisis But Government Can Do Something

Three-quarters of Britons think that there is a national housing crisis according to research for the CIH’s annual conference.

Undertaken before the Grenfell tragedy, the survey found 82% agree that “everyone should have a right to be able to live in a decent quality home whether or not they own it”. Only 5% disagree.

The survey also found:

·         The public largely reject the notion that there is “isn’t much that British Governments can do to solve country’s housing problems”

·         buying/renting is harder than it was for their parents’ generation

·         there is not enough affordable housing to buy/rent locally,

·         Confidence that the Government has the right policies to deal with the country’s housing problems remains low

Read more on the Ipsos Mori website.

Poll Shows Britons Support Action On Infrastructure

Ahead of the Autumn Statement, Ipsos MORI launch a new global Infrastructure study that finds the majority of the public think that Britain is not currently doing enough to meet the country’s infrastructure needs.  Some 60% of Britons agree that we are not doing enough as a country to meet our infrastructure needs and 76% are of the view that investment in infrastructure is vital to future economic growth.

·         Majority of Britons think we are not doing enough to meet infrastructure needs and 44% would back Government borrowing to meet those needs

·         Of all G8 countries, new housing supply rated worst in Britain

·         New housing supply is among public’s top priorities in Britain, along with rail and flood defences

Read more on the Ipsos Mori website.

Shelter Launches 'Living Home Standard'

A homelessness charity has launched a ‘Living Home Standard’ to measure the acceptability of housing across all tenures. Shelter has published the new standard, which draws inspiration from the Living Wage to provide a “definition of what the British public believe everyone needs from a home”. Research on behalf of the charity found 43% of those polled live in homes which fail to meet the new standard. According to research by Ipsos Mori, which conducted 1,961 representative interviews across Britain on Shelter’s behalf, private renters fair the worst, with 69% failing the standard, compared to 20% of those who own their home outright. Read more on the Shelter blog.

Nearly 2 Million Disabled People Have An Unmet Housing Need

A new report reveals the extent of demand for accessible homes to rent and buy.  The report says 1.8 million disabled people having an unmet housing need – 580,000 of working age. Conducted by teams at the London School of Economics (LSE) and Ipsos MORI for Habinteg and Papworth Trust, the ‘hidden housing market’ report is pitched as challenging assumptions about the potential for disabled people to buy their own home. The report also sheds light on the wider appeal of homes that deliver higher quality accessible features.  Download a copy of the report from the Habinteg website.

Social Mobility Stalls As Housing Dreams Are Dashed

Owner-occupation is the clear tenure of choice for most Britons but they think politicians are not being honest about the prospects for people to own.  These are among findings from new research by Ipsos MORI. The survey found 46% of the view that people have equal opportunities to get ahead in Britain, a drop of seven points since 2008. 79% agree that even if today’s young people work hard and get good jobs, they will have a hard time getting the right kind of housing while a majority, 57%, agree that getting on the property ladder is one of the most important ways of getting on in life (23% disagree). Read more on the Ipsos Mori website.

Housing Slips Down List Of Public's Concerns

Housing has dropped down the list of public priorities following a surge in concern about defence, terrorism and foreign affairs.  The latest monthly Issues Index by polling company Ipsos Mori shows housing has dropped from fourth to seventh in the rankings of issues the public is most concerned about. The results show 16% in December considered housing a ‘most important’ issue, five percentage points down on the 21% for November. Concern about housing had increased substantially in the months of October and November, with 20% and 21% of the public citing it as a ‘most important’ concern in those two months respectively, the highest figure for 41 years.  Read more on the Ipsos Mori website.

Level Of Concern About Housing Is Highest In 40 Years

Concern about housing in Britain is at its highest level for 41 years, according to an Ipsos Mori poll. The data shows 5% more people are worried about the issue than in September. It has risen up two places on Ipsos Mori’s list of concerns in Britain today, behind immigration, the NHS and the economy, but just above unemployment and poverty/inequality. Twenty per cent of people interviewed were worried about housing, compared to 52% for immigration, 37% for the NHS and 26% for the economy. The political research company points out the concern over housing is “most stark when the results are looked at geographically”. Eight per cent of people surveyed in the north of England saw housing as an issue but 43% in London. Read more on the Ipsos Mori website.

Housing Now 4th Highest Political Priority For Public

For decades, housing has been a niche political issue only briefly flickering on the political radar, but now it sits squarely as one of the public’s main concerns. The October edition of IPSOS Mori Issues Index, the preeminent poll of the important political issues for the Great British public, has found that 20% of people in Great Britain (21% in England) mentioned Housing as ‘an important issue facing Britain today’. The IPSOS Issues Index began in 1974, and this is the first time in 41 years (since 1974) that this many people have selected housing as an important issue facing Britain. Read more on the NHF website.

Councils 'Frustrated' By Universal Credit

The government’s failure to provide ‘clear information’ about universal credit is causing ‘frustration’ among councils, a government report has said.  Research carried out by Ipsos Mori, on behalf of the DWP, said ‘lack of clarity’ about the timescales for the government’s flagship welfare reform was causing ‘uncertainty’ and ‘preventing certain decisions being made’. According to figures published by the DWP last week, 75,427 people are currently claiming universal credit, of which 68% are not in employment. Download a copy of the report from the DWP website.

Fewer Than 1 In 5 Social Tenants Voted Tory

Fewer than one in five social housing tenants voted Conservative in the election, a polling company has estimated. Ipsos Mori has estimated that 18% of social housing tenants voted Tory, down six percentage points compared to the 2010 election. This is significantly less than the 36.7% of the population overall who voted Conservative. Half of social tenants voted for Labour, an increase of 3% on 2010. Among private renters the gap between Conservative and Labour was narrower. More than a quarter (28%) of private renters voted Tory, down seven per cent from 2010. Nearly one in four (39%) private renters voted Labour, up 10% on 2010. Nearly half of owner occupiers (46%) voted for the Conservatives, compared to 22% of Labours. Read more on the Ipsos Mori website.

Housing Jumps up List of The Public's Concerns

Housing has jumped up the list of the electorate’s most important issues, according to an influential poll. The latest Ipsos Mori issues index shows housing is now the sixth most important issue with the public, after gradually rising up the list in recent months. A total of 15% of people cited housing as one of the most important issues facing Britiain today, placing it as the sixth most important issue, behind NHS, immigration, the economy, education and schools and unemployment. Housing has risen up the index from 12th in November to 6th in April. The total of 15% citing housing as the most important issue is the highest since last September. Read more on the Ipsos Mori website.

Three Quarters of Public Think There Is a Housing Crisis in Britain

Seventy-five per cent of people surveyed by Ipsos MORI for the CIH agree that there is a housing crisis in Britain, while almost half (46 per cent) think there is a housing crisis in their local area.  The poll also showed that the situation is being felt most sharply by people who live in London and renters. Eight out of 10 (81%) people living in Greater London said there is a housing crisis in Britain and three-quarters (76%) agreed there is a housing crisis in their local area. Eight out of 10 (81%) renters said there is a housing crisis in Britain while more than half (60%) agreed there is a housing crisis in their local area. Read more on the Housingnet website.

Housing Management Set To Return to Council

Following consultation with residents on a joint recommendation, Hackney Council’s Cabinet has decided to return the management of its housing stock to the Council when its contract with Hackney Homes comes to an end on the 31st of March 2016. The Council recently consulted residents on a joint proposal by Hackney Homes and Hackney Council to return housing management to the Council. All of Hackney secure and introductory tenants and leaseholders were consulted over a three month period, by independent research agency Ipsos MORI. Of the 18% who responded, 56% showed support for the proposal. Read more on the Hackney Council website.

Housing Remains outside Voters' Top 10 Issues

Housing remains outside the top 10 most important issues for voters just months before the general election. The latest Ipsos Mori Issues Index reveals housing is the 11th most important issue to voters, with 11% mentioning it as an ‘important issue facing Britain today.’   Housing dropped out of the top 10 in the monthly index in October sparking alarm among some that the sector is not getting its messages through to voters ahead of May’s election. The percentage of respondents citing housing as an important issue fell from 15% in October to 10% in November and is now 11%. Read more on the Ipsos Mori website.

Tenants Back Plans To Dissolve ALMO

Social housing tenants have backed Hackney Council's plans to dissolve its ALMO, Hackney Homes, and bring the management of its housing stock back in-house.  The three month consultation, which closed on 31 October, asked Hackney Homes’ introductory and secure tenants and leaseholders to have their say on the joint proposal, which would see management returned to the council in April 2016.Independent research agency Ipsos MORI has reported a response rate of nearly 20% (6,158), of which 56% showed support for the proposal, 14% opposed, 15% neither supported nor opposed; 12% answered ‘don’t know’ and 2% did not state a preference.  Read more on 24dash.

Public Are Positive towards Contribution and Value of Social Housing

The British public are positive about the contribution and value of social housing according to an Ipsos MORI poll for #HousingDay 2014. Ipsos MORI found that 82% of those not renting from a social landlord agree social housing is important because it helps people on lower incomes get access to housing which wouldn’t be affordable in the private rented sector. And by five to one, the public agree rather than disagree that social housing plays an important role in tackling poverty in Britain. Read more on the Ipsos Mori 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. 

The Impact of Welfare Reforms on Tenants

The National Housing Federation has published its report into how tenants have prepared for, and reacted to, the UK Government's welfare reforms. The Federation found the majority of working age social housing tenants are not prepared for the roll out of Universal Credit. The report includes ten case studies, by Ipsos Mori, that provide real-life stories of the thought processes and experiences of tenants who have lived through changes to the welfare system. The in-depth interviews suggest that the welfare reforms have impacted on tenants both financially and emotionally. Download the report from the NHF website.