A report recommended that the design and development of new homes for older people needed to became a national priority in order to avoid a future housing crisis.
Source: HAPPI Housing our Ageing Population: Panel for Innovation, Homes and Communities Agency
Links: Report | HCA press release
Date: 2009-Dec
A briefing paper said that despite 40 years of recommendations for ethnic monitoring in housing services, there was little evidence that such monitoring was actually taking place in a regular, systematic, and detailed manner.
Source: Adrian Jones, Monitoring the Ethnicity of Housing Service Users: Forty years of progress?, Race Equality Foundation
Links: Briefing
Date: 2009-Dec
A report examined the development of social well-being for older people moving into 15 new-build extra care housing schemes.
Source: Lisa Callaghan, Ann Netten and Robin Darton, The Development of Social Well-Being in New Extra Care Housing Schemes, Joseph Rowntree Foundation (01904 629241)
Date: 2009-Nov
A report by a committee of MPs rejected calls to reinstate the ring fence for the Supporting People programme: but it warned that action needed to be taken to protect funding for vulnerable people receiving housing-related support.
Source: The Supporting People Programme, Thirteenth Report (Session 2008-09), HC 649, House of Commons Communities and Local Government Select Committee, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report | St Mungos press release | Community Care report | Inside Housing report
Date: 2009-Nov
A new book examined the emergent literature on housing with care for older people, and drew out key issues for the future. It investigated changing concepts and experiences of community across the lifecourse and into older age, and how they played out in housing with care settings. It considered the impact of a range of factors – including social networks, inclusive activities, diversity, and the built environment – on older people's quality of life.
Source: Simon Evans, Community and Ageing: Maintaining quality of life in housing with care settings, Policy Press, available from Marston Book Services (01235 465500)
Links: Summary
Date: 2009-Oct
A report (by an official advisory body) said that little of the existing housing stock was fit for the needs of people aged over 80. Housing in the future needed to allow older people to have more independence, a better choice, and the ability to maintain friendships and community networks.
Source: Homes for Our Old Age: Independent living by design, Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (020 7960 2400)
Links: Report | CABE press release
Date: 2009-Sep
A report summarized a peer research study in which people with experience of homelessness interviewed 103 people who were either sleeping rough, or in emergency shelters, hostels, or high-support housing. 85 per cent of those interviewed either had a diagnosed mental health problem or had concerns about their mental health. Despite improvements in mental health service provision, homeless people were still not able to access the treatment and support they needed.
Source: Helen Bilton, Happiness Matters: Homeless people's views about breaking the link between homelessness and mental ill health, St. Mungo's (020 8600 3003)
Links: Report | St Mungo's press release | Community Care report | Inside Housing report
Date: 2009-Jul
A report estimated that the £1.6 billion invested through the Supporting People programme had saved other services £3.41 billion – through reduced costs in homelessness, tenancy failure, crime, health, and residential care packages.
Source: Tom Ashton and Claire Hempenstall, Research Into the Financial Benefits of the Supporting People Programme, 2009, Department for Communities and Local Government (web publication only)
Links: Report | DCLG press release | Inside Housing report
Date: 2009-Jul
A report examined how housing associations could better meet the housing needs of refugees and of other new migrant communities.
Source: John Perry, Opening Doors: Improving housing services for refugees and new migrants, Chartered Institute of Housing (024 7685 1700) and Housing Associations Charitable Trust
Links: Summary
Date: 2009-Jun
A report said that personalization of care services could 'undermine' specialist housing provision for older people. As commissioners move away from block contracts towards personal budgets, residents could be left without the on-site care element due to their lack of collective bargaining power.
Source: Sarah Vallelly and Jill Manthorpe, Building Choices Part 2: Getting Personal – The impact of personalisation on older people's housing, Housing 21 (0370 192 4000)
Links: Report | Community Care report
Date: 2009-Jun
The equality and human rights watchdog said that investment in adequate site provision for Gypsy and Traveller communities could generate income for local authorities and improve community relations, as well as providing safe and decent accommodation. As little as one square mile of land would be enough to provide all Gypsy and Traveller families in England with sufficient authorized sites. A linked research report examined progress by local housing authorities in meeting the accommodation needs of Gypsy and Traveller communities. A further report reviewed the available information about the severe inequalities faced by Gypsies and Travellers.
Source: Gypsies and Travellers: Simple Solutions for Living Together, Equality and Human Rights Commission (020 3117 0235) | Philip Brown and Pat Niner, Assessing Local Housing Authorities' Progress in Meeting the Accommodation Needs of Gypsy and Traveller Communities, Research Report 13, Equality and Human Rights Commission | Sarah Cemlyn, Margaret Greenfields, Sally Burnett, Zoe Matthews and Chris Whitwell, Inequalities Experienced by Gypsy and Traveller Communities: A review, Research Report 12, Equality and Human Rights Commission
Links: Report | Research report 13 | Research report 12 | Bristol University press release | Inside Housing report
Date: 2009-Mar
A briefing paper said that the demand for affordable housing from black and minority-ethnic households was likely to increase in the future. The locational preferences of BME households were changing: but fear and threat of racism continued to restrict their choice of area.
Source: Sanna Markkanen, Looking to the Future: Changing black and minority ethnic housing needs and aspirations, Race Equality Foundation (020 7619 6220)
Links: Briefing
Date: 2009-Mar
The Welsh Assembly Government began consultation on a strategy for the future of the Supporting People programme (providing housing help and advice to the most vulnerable people).
Source: Supporting People: Housing Related Support Strategy, Welsh Assembly Government (029 2082 5111)
Links: Consultation document | WAG press release
Date: 2009-Feb