Researchers examined disabled people's housing needs, and found that access regulation focused on standards and rules instead of 'making a house a home'. Building control officers could change this by educating house builders on the needs of 'visitability' for homes, rather than meeting minimum standards.
Source: Rob Imrie, Responding to Disabled People's Needs in the Residential Environment, Economic and Social Research Council (01793 413000)
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary (pdf)
Date: 2003-Dec
A report identified a number of transitional problems following the introduction of the Supporting People programme in Scotland in April 2003: up to half of all housing support services had faced cash flow difficulties as a result. (The programme is designed to provide housing-related services to vulnerable people, to promote greater independence.)
Source: Andrew Waugh, In Need of Support?: Survey of Supporting People providers six months on, Scottish Council for Single Homeless (0131 226 4382)
Links: Summary (pdf) | SCSH press release | Community Care report
Date: 2003-Nov
An official briefing paper summarised information on the housing needs of people with learning disabilities in England.
Source: H. Harker, Housing Needs and Supply in England: Learning disabilities, Department of Health (08701 555455)
Links: Link removed by DH
Date: 2003-Nov
Amendments to the national means test for mandatory disabled facilities grants in England took effect from 29 October 2003. The amendments were mainly to take account of the introduction of working tax credit and state pension credit, and changes in personal allowances and premiums.
Source: The Housing Renewal Grants (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2003, Statutory Instrument 2003/2504, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Statutory Instrument
Date: 2003-Oct
The government announced a grant allocation of 1.8 billion for the first year of the Supporting People programme ( 400 million more than estimates made in February 2003). It also said that it had set up an independent review to gauge the 'true picture' of how the funding was being utilised. Housing associations said the government should use the review to 'end the uncertainty and instability' that had dogged the programme since its launch. (The programme went live on 1 April 2003, providing services which help vulnerable people - including victims of domestic violence, older people and teenage parents - to live independently in their accommodation.)
Source: House of Commons Hansard, Written Ministerial Statement 16 October 2003, column 24WS, TSO (0870 600 5522) | Press release 16 October 2003, National Housing Federation (020 7278 6571)
Links: Hansard | NHF press release (pdf) | LGA press release | Guardian report
Date: 2003-Oct
A study into the housing experiences of England s Somali population called into question whether local and national policies were adequately addressing some of the most basic needs of the country s diverse ethnic communities.
Source: Ian Cole and David Robinson, Somali Housing Experience in England, Centre for Regional, Economic and Social Research/Sheffield Hallam University (0114 225 3073)
Links: Report (pdf) | CRESR press release
Date: 2003-Oct
A study examined the aspirations of young disabled people in Scotland for housing, and their actual experiences. Young disabled people had similar aspirations to their non-disabled peers. Most wanted to leave the parental home and most did not regard their first house as a home for life. They expected eventually to form a new household with a partner and/or children and to seek suitable housing.
Source: Jo Dean, Unaddressed: Housing aspirations of young disabled people in Scotland, York Publishing Services for Joseph Rowntree Foundation, available from York Publishing Services Ltd (01904 431213)
Links: Report (pdf) | JRF Findings 973
Date: 2003-Sep
A report examined the accommodation needs of asylum seekers. It called for a more constructive approach by government towards asylum seekers, and measures to improve their public image and promote better community cohesion.
Source: Providing a Safe Haven - Housing asylum seekers and refugees, Chartered Institute of Housing (024 7685 1700)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2003-Aug
A report said that when older homeless people left hospital, the arrangements for their accommodation were frequently inadequate or inappropriate - leading to an early return to hospital, or even needless death.
Source: Imogen Blood, The Discharge of Older Homeless People from Hospital, Help the Aged (020 7278 1114) and Housing Associations Charitable Trust
Links: Help the Aged press release
Date: 2003-Aug
A study examined the attitudes of builders and building control officers to Part M of the building regulations, and how Part M was being interpreted and applied. Many builders and building control officers felt that Part M was half-hearted and did not address the real housing needs of disabled people. (Part M requires housebuilders to construct new housing to standards that facilitate access by disabled people.)
Source: Rob Imrie, The Impact of Part M on the Design of New Housing, Department of Geography/Royal Holloway, University of London (01784 443654) for Joseph Rowntree Foundation
Links: JRF Findings 823
Date: 2003-Aug
A new book critically examined the role of housing associations in responding to the needs of women made homeless by domestic violence.
Source: Cathy Davis, Housing Associations: Rehousing women leaving domestic violence, Policy Press, available from Marston Book Services (01235 465500)
Links: Summary
Date: 2003-Jul
Researchers examined the availability and quality of local authority Gypsy/Traveller sites in England. It was found that there was no clear, widely understood national policy towards the provision of such accommodation: but there was also a general feeling that such a policy was needed.
Source: Pat Niner, Local Authority Gypsy/Traveller Sites in England, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (0870 1226 236)
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary
Date: 2003-Jul
A report provided a statistical analysis and literature review relating to the housing, social and economic circumstances of black and minority ethnic people living in Wales.
Source: The Housing and Socio-Economic Circumstances of Black and Minority Ethnic People in Wales, Welsh Assembly Government (029 2082 3353)
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary (pdf)
Date: 2003-Jun
A study examined the age-related housing and domiciliary care and support requirements of older people in Wales. It said that the ageing population would pose many challenges in coming decades. The trend for local authorities to transfer their residential care homes to voluntary or private sector bodies seemed likely to continue because of the high costs of refurbishment to meet rising standards.
Source: The Age Related Housing and Domiciliary Care and Support Requirements of Older People in Wales, Welsh Assembly Government (029 2082 3353)
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary (pdf)
Date: 2003-Jun
A report examined issues relating to race and ethnicity which impacted on the work of housing associations, including: changing household structures; social exclusion; neighbourhood renewal; residential and social segregation; and the impact of far right politics. It highlighted the role of housing associations in addressing issues such as racial inequality and social and economic disadvantage.
Source: Emerging Issues in Race and Housing, Sector Study 26, Housing Corporation (020 7393 2000)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2003-Jun
An analysis demonstrated the difficulties faced by working households who wanted to buy homes in different local authority areas.
Source: Steve Wilcox, Can Work - Can't Buy: Local measures of the ability of working households to become home owners, York Publishing Services for Joseph Rowntree Foundation, available from York Publishing Services Ltd (01904 431213)
Links: Report (pdf) | JRF Findings 573 | Guardian report
Date: 2003-May
A literature review summarised published research and guidance on housing and black and minority ethnic communities in England.
Source: Malcolm Harrison and Deborah Phillips, Housing and Black and Minority Ethnic Communities: Review of the evidence base, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (0870 1226 236)
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary
Date: 2003-May
The Housing Corporation set out its strategy for meeting the housing needs of older people - providing specialised housing where necessary, while allowing older people to continue living as part of a community.
Source: Strategy for Housing Older People in England, Housing Corporation (020 7393 2000)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2003-Apr
A review looked at how the 'supporting people' programme may affect services for people with complex needs or those who are marginal or hard to reach . It found that those who commission housing, social services, health and probation services lack agreed definitions of marginal, hard-to-reach or high-risk groups, and do not have a full understanding of the service options.
Source: Lynn Watson, Maryrose Tarpey, Kate Alexander and Caroline Humphreys, Supporting People: Real change? - Planning housing and support for marginal groups, York Publishing Services for Joseph Rowntree Foundation, available from York Publishing Services Ltd (01904 431213)
Links: JRF Findings 373
Date: 2003-Mar
Campaigners published a briefing paper describing recent initiatives on housing advice for older people, and giving a summary of recommendations from previous research.
Source: Jenny Pannell and Imogen Blood, Housing Advice for Older People, Help the Aged (020 7843 1576)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2003-Feb
The government announced that funding during the first year of the 'Supporting People' programme (which goes live on 1 April 2003) will total 1.4 billion. The programme is a new way of planning and improving housing-related support services for vulnerable people, such as the homeless, older people and women fleeing domestic violence. The aim is to prevent crises such as hospitalisation, institutional care or homelessness, by providing early support when it is most effective. The grant is based on a transfer of funding from a number of existing streams including elements of transitional housing benefit, supported housing management grant, probation accommodation grant, income support and jobseeker's allowance.
Source: Press release 20.2.03, Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (020 7944 3000) | House of Commons Hansard, Written Ministerial Statement 24.2.03, columns 2-3WS, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Press release | Hansard
Date: 2003-Feb
The Northern Ireland Housing Executive published a report on Travellers accommodation needs. The findings represented the most up to date demographic information and profile of the Traveller community since the 1993 Travellers census.
Source: Travellers' Accommodation: Needs Assessment in Northern Ireland - 2002, Northern Ireland Housing Executive (028 9024 0588)
Links: Report (pdf) | Press release
Date: 2003-Feb
