A report examined disparities between ethnic groups in relation to overcrowded accommodation and the growth of the private rented sector, drawing on data from the 2011 census. It said that: changes in the measurement of overcrowding had affected the visibility of ethnic inequalities; private renting had increased, with the increase most notable for the Indian, Pakistani and Black Caribbean ethnic groups; and some minority groups were disproportionately represented in insecure private rented accommodation.
Source: Nissa Finney and Bethan Harries, Understanding Ethnic Inequalities in Housing: Analysis of the 2011 census, Race Equality Foundation
Date: 2013-Dec
A report examined public perceptions of the minimum space required in homes in Britain. It said that standards appeared to fall well below public expectations, and that official estimates were likely to underestimate overcrowding. Recommendations included the introduction of a new statutory measure of overcrowding.
Source: BSHF and Rachel Moreton, Perceptions of Overcrowding: Public views of space in the home, Building and Social Housing Foundation
Links: Report
Date: 2013-Dec
An article examined the relocation experience of a group of residents in south Yorkshire, England, during the implementation of housing market renewal policies during 2005–2007. It said that 'place-based citizenship' and participation standards had been eroded since the 1970s, and that the housing market renewal strategy was an antidote to state neglect, addressing deficits in participation standards that arose from differential experiences of place.
Source: Peter Lee, 'Housing market renewal: evidence of revanchism or a response to "passive revanchism" supporting "citizenship of place"?', Housing Studies, Volume 28 Number 8
Links: Abstract
Date: 2013-Dec
A report by a committee of MPs said that the Code for Sustainable Homes had worked alongside building regulations since 2007 to embed a degree of sustainability in the building of new homes. It recommended that the government should rethink its decision to 'wind down' the code following its review of housing standards.
Source: Code for Sustainable Homes and the Housing Standards Review, Eighth Report (Session 2013–14), HC 192, House of Commons Environmental Audit Select Committee, TSO
Links: Report | UK-GBC press release | BBC report | Inside Housing report
Date: 2013-Nov
A report called for the application of information-age digital technologies to improve the quality and value of housing. It proposed a system of 'home performance labelling' to provide better information to potential purchasers and aid the comparison of different properties.
Source: Ben Derbyshire, Housing for the Information Age: Empowering consumers to drive change in the industry, Housing Forum
Links: Report | Summary | Inside Housing report
Date: 2013-Oct
A briefing paper examined the housing market renewal pathfinders. It discussed the establishment and purpose of the pathfinders, detailed the government expenditure on them, and outlined the research on their effectiveness.
Source: Wendy Wilson, Housing Market Renewal (HMR) Pathfinders, Standard Note SN/SP/5953, House of Commons Library
Links: Briefing paper
Date: 2013-Oct
The coalition government began consultation on proposals to simplify the regulations relating to housing standards in England, following the report of an independent review panel. The government said that it wanted to do away with a 'confusing patchwork' of different standards – the result of giving local authorities freedom over local application. It wanted to remove the 'bureaucratic handbrake' holding back housebuilding and pushing up costs, and did not have a 'preferred approach' on minimum space standards 'at this time'.
Source: Housing Standards Review: Consultation, Department for Communities and Local Government | Housing Standards Review Challenge Panel, Towards More Sustainable Homes, Department for Communities and Local Government
Links: Consultation document | Impact assessment | Review panel report | DCLG press release | POS press release | RIBA press release | UKGBC press release | BBC report | Guardian report | Inside Housing report
Date: 2013-Aug
A report examined the links between good health and good housing in Northern Ireland. It said that undertaking carefully targeted improvements to homes would bring significant improvements in the physical and mental health and well-being of households, and would also increase the value of the housing stock and facilitate 'very considerable savings' in the health budget.
Source: Maggie Davidson, Simon Nicol, Mike Roys, Helen Garrett, Adele Beaumont, and Charlotte Turner, The Cost of Poor Housing in Northern Ireland, IHS BRE Press
Links: Report | NIHE press release
Date: 2013-Aug
A report said that the size of new homes was a major factor in local concerns about design. Nearly half (44 per cent) of the public said that they were more likely to support new housing developments if the homes were larger, even if this meant that they took up more land. Only 23 per cent said the same about developments with smaller homes on smaller sites. The report recommended an improved set of building regulations that included clear housing quality measures such as adequate inside and outside space and storage. This would ensure more certainty and consistency than leaving such standards to negotiation via the planning system. It would also benefit new owners and help to create local support for development.
Source: Little Boxes, Fewer Homes: Setting housing space standards will get more homes built, Shelter
Links: Report
Date: 2013-Apr
A survey examined young families' experiences of housing. More than one quarter (27 per cent) of young mothers were living in inadequate housing. The vast majority (94 per cent) of families who were living in a rented property wanted to own their own home but were not able to. The report warned of the impact that housing issues were having on the daily lives of parents and on the healthy development of children. With 220,000 children set to be affected by changes to housing benefits in the next few years, urgent intervention was needed to stop this situation from deteriorating.
Source: The Housing Trap: How overcrowded housing is threatening our children, 4Children
Date: 2013-Jan
