An article said that the 'low carbon' housing agenda was increasingly recognized as problematic, over-emphasizing technological solutions at the expense of social, political, economic, and wider environmental issues.
Source: Louise Anne Reid and Donald Houston, 'Low carbon housing: a "green" wolf in sheep's clothing?', Housing Studies, Volume 28 Number 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Dec
A series of research reports examined the costs, benefits, and practical implications of applying the Lifetime Home Standard to new build housing development.
Source: Building Research Establishment Ltd, Modelling the Current and Potential Accessibility of the Housing Stock, Department for Communities and Local Government | Building Cost Information Service, Assessing the Cost of Lifetime Homes Standards, Department for Communities and Local Government | Mike Roys, Assessing the Health Benefits of Lifetime Homes, Department for Communities and Local Government | Habinteg Housing Association, Lifetime Homes Technical Forum, Department for Communities and Local Government | Analysis of Distribution of Housing Typologies in Public and Private Sector and Typical Compatibility with the Lifetime Home Standard, Department for Communities and Local Government | Impact on Site Density of Lifetime Homes, Department for Communities and Local Government | Hunt Thomson Architects, Design of Lifetime Homes, Department for Communities and Local Government |
Links: Report (1) | Report (2) | Report (3) | Report (4) | Report (5) | Report (6) | Report (7)
Notes: The Lifetime Home Standard is a set of 16 design criteria that provide a model for building accessible and adaptable homes.
Date: 2012-Jul
An annual report was published on England's housing stock, covering themes such as amenities and services, condition of the housing stock, energy performance, and improvement potential. The proportion of dwellings failing the 'decent homes' standard had declined steadily from 35 per cent in 2006 to 27 per cent in 2010. The largest improvements were evident in the local authority sector.
Source: English Housing Survey: HOMES 2010, Department for Communities and Local Government
Links: Report | Summary | Bulletin
Date: 2012-Jul
A study found that modern houses were too small, with inadequate storage and living spaces.
Source: Stephen Finlay, Isabella Pereira, Ella Fryer-Smith, Anne Charlton, and Rebecca Roberts-Hughes, The Way We Live Now: What people need and expect from their homes, Royal Institute of British Architects
Links: Report | RIBA press release | Guardian report | Inside Housing report | Telegraph report
Date: 2012-May
A briefing paper examined housing problems (such as poor housing quality, overcrowding, and high housing costs) and access to basic local services (including public transport, and postal and banking services) across the European Union. It also assessed whether the population at risk of poverty was exposed to cumulative disadvantage, suffering from both low incomes and housing deprivation.
Source: Orsolya Lelkes and Katrin Gasior, Housing Problems and Access to Basic Local Services in the EU27: How does Austria compare?, European Centre for Social Welfare Policy and Research (Vienna)
Links: Briefing
Date: 2012-Apr
A report examined the wider social impacts of a 'decent homes' programme in a Midlands city in England (Nottingham). Improvements to the physical condition of properties had led to improved outcomes for tenants in terms of their security, health, and comfort, as well as wider impacts on the community such as carbon reduction, more employment opportunities, and neighbourhood improvement.
Source: Decent Homes Impact Study: The effects of Secure Warm Modern Homes in Nottingham, Nottingham City Homes/Nottingham Trent University
Links: Report | HCA press release
Date: 2012-Mar
An article examined the impacts of living in high-rise housing in Glasgow compared with other dwelling types. Many outcomes were worse for people in high-rise housing, especially related to noise and security issues. Social and psychosocial outcomes were also often worse – particularly frequency of contact with neighbours and a number of aspects of control and recuperation at home. The negative impacts of high-rise living were most wide-ranging among adult-only households rather than families, with older persons least affected.
Source: Ade Kearns, Elise Whitley, Phil Mason, and Lyndal Bond, '"Living the high life"? Residential, social and psychosocial outcomes for high-rise occupants in a deprived context', Housing Studies, Volume 27 Number 1
Links: Abstract
Date: 2012-Jan
An audit report in Wales said that many social housing tenants had seen big improvements to the quality of their housing: but the Welsh Government's original aim that all social housing would achieve the Welsh Housing Quality Standard (WHQS) by the end of 2012 would not be met 'for some considerable time'.
Source: Progress in Delivering the Welsh Housing Quality Standard, Wales Audit Office
Links: Report | WAO press release | BBC report | Inside Housing report | Public Finance report
Date: 2012-Jan
