A report examined key aspects of the social and economic policy landscape that had the potential to have a significant impact on housing business, markets, and customers over the next 10 years.
Source: Simon Graham (ed.), Housing 2020: Six views of the future for housing associations, Orbit Group
Links: Report
Notes: Chapters included: Jonathan Bradshaw, 'Social policy in 2020'.
Date: 2012-Nov
An article examined the possibility of defining 'housing market areas' in order to underpin the development of housing market intelligence for planning and policy purposes – as opposed to using existing administrative boundaries.
Source: Stephen Hincks and Mark Baker, 'A critical reflection on housing market area definition in England', Housing Studies, Volume 27 Number 7
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Oct
The report of a review said that there was a need to ensure that housing market statistics were more easily accessible and better placed in the context of related statistics. There should be an (at least) annual article on key trends in the United Kingdom housing market to aid this. In some instances, local area statistics were not available or were not timely enough to be of use: in these cases, the ability to make local area statistics available or timelier should be investigated further. A gap also existed in official private rental statistics: official private rental statistics and a private rental price index should be developed for the UK.
Source: National Statistician's Review of Official Housing Market Statistics, Office for National Statistics
Links: Report | ONS press release | RSS press release
Date: 2012-Sep
A paper said that although residential migration created stress it also led to enduring improvements in individual satisfaction. Five years after migration, housing satisfaction was still significantly higher than it was initially. The positive effect of migration on housing satisfaction was much stronger and endured longer for those with a sustained desire to move before migration. But changes in satisfaction with other life domains were much less pronounced and no lasting improvements in satisfaction were observed for them.
Source: Allan Findlay and Beata Nowok, The Uneven Impact of Different Life Domains on the Wellbeing of Migrants, Working Paper 26, Centre for Population Change
Links: Paper
Date: 2012-Sep
An annual survey was published on households in England. The largest tenure type in Session 2010–11 was owner occupation, with 14.45 million households (66 per cent). This continued a slight downward trend from a peak of 14.79 million households (71 per cent) in 2005. The private rented sector continued to increase in size, to 3.62 million households (17 per cent).
Source: English Housing Survey: HOUSEHOLDS Session 2010–11, Department for Communities and Local Government
Links: Report | Summary | Bulletin | Guardian report | Inside Housing report
Date: 2012-Jul
An annual report brought together the most up-to-date housing statistics available for England (and its regions), Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. Commentary chapters included analysis of recent trends in housing markets and in housing needs, as well as housing provision and public expenditure on housing. Separate chapters covered the changing scale and role of private renting; the obstacles facing home-owners; devolution in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland; and migration and its impacts on housing.
Source: Hal Pawson and Steve Wilcox, UK Housing Review 2011/2012, Chartered Institute of Housing
Links: Summary
Date: 2012-Jul
Date: 2012-Jun
Date: 2012-Jun
An annual survey of English housing for 2010-11 was published. Average weekly rents in the private rented sector continued to be well above those in the social rented sector (£160 per week compared with £79). 63 per cent of households in the social rented sector were in receipt of housing benefit, compared with only 25 per cent of those in the private rented sector. The long-term upward trend in the proportion of households experiencing overcrowding in both rented sectors appeared to continue (7 per cent for social renters and 6 per cent for private renters in 2010-11): but there was no appreciable change in the proportion of owner-occupiers living in overcrowded conditions (1 per cent in 2010-11). The proportion of dwellings with damp problems fell from 13 per cent in 1996 to 7 per cent in 2010. Private rented dwellings were more likely than those in other tenures to experience damp problems, partly as they were more likely to be older stock.
Source: English Housing Survey: Headline Report 2010-11, Department for Communities and Local Government
Date: 2012-Feb
An annual review of housing issues was published. It said that statutory homelessness had risen in 2010 in the United Kingdom as a whole – for the first time since 2003. Rates had risen significantly in Wales and Northern Ireland, while decreasing in Scotland and remaining relatively static in England. Big differences had emerged in approaches to dealing with homelessness across the UK: in England, two-thirds of homelessness was dealt with outside the statutory rules, whereas in Scotland cases accepted under the statutory rules were growing. Partly as a consequence, England had made big cuts in its use of temporary accommodation while in Scotland the number of temporary housing placements had doubled since 2003.
Source: Hal Pawson and Steve Wilcox, UK Housing Review 2011-2012, Chartered Institute of Housing
Links: Summary | CIH press release | Inside Housing report
Date: 2012-Jan
