The 2022 Reports

Our Editorial Panel will assess each new report and those that they consider have the greatest chance of influencing policy makers are shown in the Must Read section. The Editorial Panel aims to nominate a dozen Must Read reports each year and those reports that have made way for more highly ranked ones are listed in the Highly Commended section. All other reports and those not yet assessed are included in the Further Reports section. To help increase awareness of this resource, please cite Thinkhouse in work that uses sources found on this site. Statistics and Government papers are collected at the bottom of the page.

Must Read

Selected by our editorial panel as being the most important publications.

Levying up: ensuring planning reform delivers affordable homes

CSJ December 2022

This report examines the range of factors behind the chronic undersupply of affordable homes.

Hitting a brick wall

The Economy 2030 Inquiry Asaad Anis-Alavi, Lindsay Judge, Jonathan Marshall, Charlie McCurdy , and Daniel Tomlinson December 2022

This briefinf note considers how policy makers could square up to one of the hardest parts of the UK’s transition to a net zero economy: insulating the nation’s homes. Drawing on a new dataset that contains property-level efficiency information for two-thirds of England’s homes, we show that policy makers and the public have ignored the hardest parts of the net zero housing challenge to date: insulating walls. As a result, many assume that improving home efficiency is more straightforward than it is.

Do Affordable Homeownership Schemes Reduce Homeownership Risks for Lower Income Households in England?

University of York, School for Business and Society Alison Wallace, Julie Rugg and Jiaxin Lui October 2022

This research examines whether affordable homeownership schemes are more sustainable for lower-income homeowners than buying unassisted on the open market.

Housing allocations and the vacancy chain: how coordinating chains can better meet housing needs and tenant choice

The Smith Institute Leo Pollak September 2022

This report is an exploration into the factors influencing vacancy chains in London’s social housing, covering general needs stock held by councils, ALMOs and housing associations, with interplays from supported and specialist housing.

Falling short: Housing benefit and the rising cost of renting in England

Crisis, Zoopla August 2022

This short analysis looks at the shortfall between housing benefit and rent costs in England.

Resilience in the housing system: market institutions from the global financial crisis to covid-19

CaCHE Mark Stephens, Phil O’Brien and Alice Earley August 2022

This is the final report in the CaCHE project, Housing systems, their institutions and their resilience, which seeks to examine the evolution of the housing system between the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) and the COVID-19 pandemic, and the response of two key housing market institutions – mortgage lenders and the housebuilding industry to the pandemic. It covers the period up to March 2022.

Making a house a home: Why policy must focus on the ownership and distribution of housing

JRF Darren Baxter-Clow, Joseph Elliott, Rachelle Earwaker August 2022

This briefing sets out the argument underpinning a new area of work at JRF, around ownership and distribution of homes in the English housing market. It suggests proposals for reform, and highlights areas we want to explore.

“I hoped there’d be more options:” Experiences of the Homelessness Reduction Act, 2018-2021

Crisis Cuchulainn Sutton-Hamilton, Michael Allard, Rebekah Stroud and Francesca Albanese June 2022

In 2018 the Homelessness Reduction Act (HRA) introduced huge changes to the English homelessness system. This research examines people’s experiences of this legislation.

Unlocking Social Housing

Shelter Charlie Trew, Tarun Bhakta and Venus Galarza April 2022

This report looks at how we can remove the barriers baked into England's investment, land and planning systems and get a new generation of good quality and genuinely affordable social homes.

Climate Crisis/Housing Crisis: How can social landlords reconcile safety and energy saving?

Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion Research at LSE March 2022

Social landlords are facing two significant challenges: they must respond to new building safety recommendations and they must improve the energy performance of their stock to meet net-zero targets in response to the climate crisis. These two issues create major budget pressures. In addition, a shortage of social housing means that the stock must be protected in order to continue to provide homes for people in need. This report explores the safety and energy pressures social landlords must meet, and highlights innovative responses to these challenges.

Delivering a step change in affordable housing supply

Legal & General and British Property Federation Simon Century, Jayson Parmar, Peter Williams March 2022

This report highlights the need for a major change in the way affordable housing is funded to overcome the additional £34bn funding required every year to meet long-term societal requirements.

The Homelessness Monitor: England 2022

Crisis Beth Watts, Glen Bramley, Hal Pawson, Gillian Young, Suzanne Fitzpatrick, & Lynne McMordie February 2022

The Homelessness Monitor: England 2022, is the latest report in a longitudinal study providing independent analysis of the homelessness impacts of recent economic and policy developments in England.

Highly Commended

Picked by our editorial panel as important publications.

The Better Social Housing Review

The Better Social Housing Review December 2022

The poor quality of some social housing has been in the spotlight recently. This review, run by an independent panel, has spent six months investigating this issue and has produced a detailed report and recommendations.

Exempt Accommodation

House of Commons Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee November 2022

This cross party report says that the current system of exempt accommodation, a type of supported housing that is used to house a range of people with support needs, is a ‘complete mess’ that is failing too many residents and local communities at the expense of the taxpayer.

Hard to decarbonise social homes

NHF and LGA October 2022

This report examines why some social homes are harder to decarbonise than others.

High standards: Developing a property improvement model for the private rented sector in Greater Manchester

IPPR North Jonathan Webb, Ryan Swift and Amreen Qureshi September 2022

This report seeks to develop a financial model for improving private property in Greater Manchester.

Net zero and the housing challenge

Building Back Britain Commission May 2022

This report calls for radical action to help to reduce the energy bills for some of the poorest households and kickstart a “retrofit revolution"

Tackling the under-supply of housing in England

House of Commons Library Wendy Wilson, Cassie Barton February 2022

The Government aims to deliver 300,000 new homes per year. This briefing covers trends in supply and considers barriers and potential solutions to delivering more homes.

Further Reports

State of brownfield report 2022

CPRE December 2022

This report shows that the availability of previously developed land continues to grow across England. In summary, it has found that over 1.2 million homes could be built on 23,000 sites covering more than 27,000 hectares of brownfield.

Rent setting: social housing (England)

House of Commons Library Wendy Wilson December 2022

This paper explains policy developments in relation to setting social housing rent levels in England since 2002. In 2023-24 rent increases will be capped at 7% aside from supported housing.

Road to home: University of Glasgow homelessness initiative scoping study

CaCHE Jocelyne Fleming December 2022

This scoping report provides information and context about homelessness as a social phenomenon and examine homelessness in Glasgow. Key stakeholders and individuals with lived experience were engaged to outline barriers to eradicating homelessness in the city and identify opportunities for the University to engage its resources to positively contribute to efforts in the field.

Building Towards Net Zero Carbon Homes

The Prince’s Foundation, Kellogg College, Oxford and the Global Centre on Healthcare and Urbanisation November 2022

This report outlines how the regional building hubs could assist the sourcing of building materials at a more local level, building local capacities and economies whilst reducing carbon footprints.

Innovations In Social Prescribing: the role of housing

National Academy of Social Prescribing, HACT, Royal Voluntary Service and Housing LIN November 2022

In this report you’ll find examples of good practice and emerging innovation from housing associations and charities across the country, focusing on three topics: Building social prescribing expertise across housing associations, their staff, and volunteers. Housing associations as anchor institutions; how to stimulate and support the provision of new services. Magnifying the voices of older people with housing support needs

Renters on low incomes face a policy black hole: homes for social rent are the answer

Early Career Researcher's Prize 2022 - winner Joseph Elliot and Rachelle Earwaker November 2022

This briefing analyses the large number of households on low incomes paying rents they cannot afford in the private rented sector. It provides new analysis on the depth and geographical spread of this problem and examines the Government’s policy response, which is not currently succeeding either in making renting more affordable or in making homeownership accessible to this group. It shows why significantly increasing the supply of homes for social rent is the solution – 90,000 a year for the next 15 years – and sets out the level of investment the Government should commit to at this autumn’s Comprehensive Spending Review to deliver them.

Safeguarding Adults: An evaluation into the involvement of Housing Associations in England

Early Career Researcher's Prize 2022 - runner up Abi Travers November 2022

At a time of competing commercial pressures, Safeguarding Adults is an activity in which Housing Associations in England are becoming increasingly involved. In December 2020, the Local Government Association published a report presenting the findings of the first thematic analysis of 231 Safeguarding Adult Reviews. It highlighted that the most common location for abuse is in the home, and that the second only to a Care Home setting, the most prevalent type of accommodation of individuals subject to a review is within social housing. Despite this being the case, the work of Social Landlords in this area is largely unrecognised, with only 0.84 per cent of SAR recommendations referencing them, and little formal recognition from Statutory Partners. This paper sets out to understand why this is the case, by drawing on previous research and interviewing housing and Safeguarding practitioners in the current day.

Decarbonising Social Housing: Lessons from the ALMO sector

NFA November 2022

This report draws on the decarbonisation and energy efficiency work of NFA members using many different approaches on a wide range of buildings, from high-rise flats to atypical-build homes.

Housing for older people

RTPI November 2022

England’s population is ageing and growing. A safe, accessible, well-maintained, and affordable home in a location that provides access to essential local services and opportunities for social connections is a vital component of a happy and healthy older age and directly related to good planning principles.

Scottish cross-party group on housing – report on rent control

CPG on Housing Ken Gibb, Gareth James and Mike Smith November 2022

Set against the backdrop of increasing rental unaffordability, rising inflation, higher interest rates and the wider energy cost crisis, the Scottish Government introduced emergency legislation to freeze rents for private and social housing tenants until 31 March 2023. It has also pledged to legislate in this Parliament for a national effective system of rent controls. This report, which was completed just as the Government announced its intention to introduce the emergency legislation, aims to better understand and explore the likely alternative methods of delivering rent control for Scotland.

Giving Back Control

Centre for Policy Studies Alex Morton and Samuel Hughes November 2022

This short report examines the leading options for abolishing or weakening ‘top-down targets’, and their likely impact on the housing system. These range from reducing the power of the Planning Inspectorate to allowing local authorities to fix their own housing need.

Priority Need For Housing For Survivors Of Domestic Abuse: One Year On

Solace November 2022

This short report concludes that, despite recent Government reforms, a lack of affordable housing and the cost of living crisis is leaving domestic abuse survivors vulnerable.

Understanding landlord behaviour in the private rented sector in the UK

CaCHE Jennifer Harris and Alex Marsh November 2022

Understanding landlord behaviour and decision making is important for researchers, policy makers and practitioners concerned with how to raise standards in the sector. However, existing research on landlord behaviour has mostly been explored from the perspective of tenants with a focus on its impact, rather than on the causes.Understanding landlord behaviour and decision making is important for researchers, policy makers and practitioners concerned with how to raise standards in the sector. However, existing research on landlord behaviour has mostly been explored from the perspective of tenants with a focus on its impact, rather than on the causes.

The Mayhew Review – Future-proofing retirement living: Easing the care and housing crises

The International Longevity Centre Les Mayhew November 2022

This report finds that the Government must build 50,000 new homes for older people each year to tackle the UK’s housing and social care crisis.

Tackling loneliness through the built environment

Campaign to End Loneliness November 2022

This report sets out why the built environment matters for loneliness, what features make a difference to our experience and how this can be achieved.

Private rented housing: the rent control debate

House of Commons Library Wendy Wilson November 2022

This paper considers debate around regulating rents in the private rented sector.

Staffing Challenges within the Northern Ireland Homelessness Sector

Homeless Connect Karen Orr and Leeanne O’Hara October 2022

This report explores staffing issues in the homelessness sector in Northern Ireland and gives voice to frontline workers who support some of the most vulnerable people in our society.

Temporary accommodation at crisis point: Frontline perspectives from London and Greater Manchester

The Smith Institute Maura Farrelly and Paul Hackett October 2022

This report examines statutory homelessness and temporary accommodation (TA) in London and Greater Manchester. It is a public-policy facing report to shed light on what is currently happening with the supply and demand of TA and to open up a wider discussion around what can be done to improve the situation going forward. It is not intended as an academic or technical comparative analysis of the different boroughs homelessness activities.

The European Coliving Best Practice Guide

ULI Europe October 2022

Coliving has seen rapid growth in Europe in recent years. Changing socioeconomic conditions, housing affordability, and evolving lifestyle preferences all provide an opportunity for the sector to develop even further. This summary report (the main report is behind the ULI paywall) outlines the opportunities and barriers in the sector and sets out recommendations for industry players.

Inquiry into community assets

Welsh Parliament Local Government and Housing Committee October 2022

This report examines the barriers, in Wales, to communities managing their assets, including affordable housing.

Lessons from Last Time - what can we learn from the first decent homes programme?

Northern Housing Consortium and CaCHE Michael Marshall, Stephen Hincks, Ed Ferrari October 2022

A review of evidence on the first decent homes programme in the social and private rented sectors.

Levelling rents - rebalancing submarket rents to make renting fair

Network Homes October 2022

A short report which proposes rebalancing submarket rents in order to establish a fairer social housing rent system and scrapping the household benefit cap.

Making places: The role of regeneration in levelling up

Centre for Cities Stuart Bridgett, Tom Leeman and Anthony Breach October 2022

This report sets out how the twenty 'levelling up' regeneration projects should sit at the heart of the new Government’s agenda to deliver swift, economic growth by attracting private sector investment.

Housing quality and neighbourhoods - the impact on wellbeing

Vivid, Aston University October 2022

Short summary that highlights key areas for consideration when building and retrofitting homes in order to prioritise customer wellbeing

Green Belt

House of Commons Library Felicia Rankl, Cassie Barton October 2022

This briefing examines Green Belt planning policy and some of the recent discussions around the Green Belt. It applies only to England.

Housing our ageing population

Housing LIN and the LGA Ian Copeman and Lois Beech October 2022

This report makes a number of recommendations to government on how we can best meet the needs of people in later life with case studies demonstrating how councils are addressing the housing needs of an ageing population.

What do lower income tenants in Scotland’s private rented sector want to see from a new Rented Sector?

CaCHE Tom Simcock, Dr Kim McKee, Alex Marsh, Jennifer Harris, Tom Moore, Adriana Soaita and Gareth James October 2022

This report provides a summary and synthesis of the research project, setting out key findings relating to: the challenges faced by renters, and in particular, lower income renters across Scotland and the recommendations for change co-developed with renters to address these challenges

On Target Protecting vulnerable households from the inflation crisis

CSJ October 2022

This paper proposes a new package of cost of living support, combining effective ‘tax cuts’ for the poorest working households with a highly targeted welfare boost for households on Universal Credit (UC), legacy benefits and pension credit.

Evaluation of the Housing First Pilots

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities October 2022

This report provides the latest evidence from the evaluation of the Housing First pilots, building on the previously published first and second interim reports. The pilot programme aims to develop the UK evidence base on delivering Housing First at scale by funding, and robustly evaluating, three pilots in the Greater Manchester, Liverpool and West Midlands combined authority regional areas, with a view to informing future investment decisions.

Train local, work local, stay local: Retrofit, growth, and levelling up

IPPR Joshua Emden October 2022

This paper sets out a series of recommendations to address skills bottlenecks and prepare the industry to make a substantial contribution to cutting household energy bills, driving the government’s levelling up strategy, and meeting net zero targets.

Cover the Cost - preventing homelessness for renters in the cost of living crisis

Shelter Charlie Berry and Jenny Pennington September 2022

This short report considers how housing benefit is failing to protect renters from homelessness in the cost of living crisis.

Housing and the cost-of-living

House of Commons Library Wendy Wilson and Cassie Barton September 2022

This short briefing paper considers the impact of inflation on rent and mortgage payments and the Government response.

A new way of working: ending rough sleeping together

Kerslake Commission on Homelessness and Rough Sleeping September 2022

This report tracks the progress against The Commission's original recommendations made last September, grading them as green, amber or red – as well as providing an updated set of recommendations reflecting the present cost of living emergency.

Protecting social housing residents from compounding crises

Peabody Megan Clarke & Anna Clarke September 2022

This short report examines the impending winter fuel crisis and offers a number of recommendations

Stigma and Social Housing in England: Feedback on the consultation responses

Durham University Business School Amanze Ejiogu & Mercy Denedo September 2022

This report notes that challenging stigma needs a collective and concerted effort by stakeholders. It follows up the original report from July 2021

Ending rough sleeping for good

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities September 2022

Ending rough sleeping for good’ is a cross-government strategy setting out how the government and its partners will work together to deliver on the government’s manifesto commitment to end rough sleeping in this Parliament. It also lays the foundations for long-term system change to end rough sleeping sustainably and for good.

Living well at home: Housing and Dementia in Scotland

Scottish Government, dsdc, CIH, University of Stirling August 2022

A well researched report on a tangential area for Thinkhouse but it does provide design and adaption recommendations

Northern Housing Monitor 2022

Northern Housing Consortium August 2022

Analysis of private rented homes across the North of England face low standards, rising rents and a chronic lack of stability.

Social rented housing (England): past trends and prospects

House of Commons Library Cassie Barton and Wendy Wilson August 2022

This briefing looks at social rented housing, barriers to development, and prospects for a “step change” in supply, including data on need and supply.

Helping more people become First Time Buyers

Policy Exchange Gerard Lyons August 2022

A look at the housing crisis from the perspective of the first time buyer and their difficulty in getting a mortgage.

Domestic abuse and housing

CaCHE Annette Hastings, Mhairi Mackenzie and Alice Earley August 2022

This report examines major policy developments in the period since the pandemic struck – a period marked by more intense awareness of the problematic nature of ‘home’ for those experiencing domestic abuse.

Rent regulation: unpacking the debates

CaCHE Alex Marsh, Ken Gibb and Adriana Mihaela Soaita August 2022

This paper addresses three distinct questions related to rent regulation and the role of evidence. First, what are the drivers of policy change on rent regulation and what role does evidence play in shaping change? Second, what is the nature of the evidence base on rent regulation and the key messages that emerge from it? Third, how is this evidence base transmitted into policy debate? We take the example of the recent UK policy debate to examine this issue.

What creates healthy cities?

The Commission on Creating Healthy Cities July 2022

With an ever-increasing proportion of the global population residing in densely populated urban environments, it is vital to consider how city design and use impacts the health and wellbeing of residents and the spread and severity of infectious disease outbreaks. The Commission used evidence from global events to inform urbanisation and how existing urban infrastructure and communities can adapt to become more resilient in future outbreaks.

Reaching rural properties, off-grid heating in the transition to net zero.

Localis Zayn Qureshi July 2022

The UK’s housing stock represents one of the most significant challenges to overcome in achieving net zero emissions by 2050. While measures around new buildings will be important, decarbonising nation’s existing housing stock is a priority for net zero policy, given that 80% of the houses people will be living in by 2050 have already been built today. The task of decarbonising off-grid homes – around four million households across the UK – warrants particular consideration.

Rural Planning in the 2020s

RTPI July 2022

This study explores significant challenges facing rural communities, including the rural housing market and assesses how land use planning can effectively support the delivery of sustainable development in rural areas in the 2020s.

A Manifesto for Change: Older People's Care in Social Housing

Altair Fiona Underwood, Rebecca How, Kirsty Hickson, Peter Latham June 2022

This report looks at the future role of social housing providers in supplying housing with care.

An Obstacle Course: Homelessness Assistance and the Right to Housing in England

Amnesty International June 2022

This report examines law, policy and practice concerning homelessness in England from a human rights perspective and highlights gaps between the UK’s international human rights commitments and its approach to homelessness at the domestic level. It provides an overview of homelessness in England and locates it in the broader context of the country’s housing crisis.

The Right to Own

Centre for Policy Studies Alex Morton June 2022

This report welcomes the Government’s reported commitment to restoring the Right to Buy to the two million housing association households currently denied a chance to own. It also sets out the scale of the discrimination within the benefits system against low-income owners as opposed to working renters.

Rising to the climate change challenge: The role of housing and planning within local councils

APSE and TCPA June 2022

Drawing on the findings of a survey sent to all local councils within the UK, policy analysis, a roundtable discussion, and detailed consideration of five case studies, the report highlights that important work is already being undertaken by local councils through their approach to both housing and planning.

Offences under the Protection from Eviction Act 1977 in England and Wales:

Safer Renting Ben Reeve-Lewis, John-Luke Bolton and Julie Rugg June 2022

This report is the first ever nationwide count of illegal eviction and harassment in England and Wales. Currently, the issue of illegal eviction and harassment is severely under-reported.

Evidence review of home adaptations in the UK and other OECD countries

CaCHE Yang Wang, Kenneth Gibb and Vikki McCall May 2022

An international evidence review that asks three questions: who needs home adaptations,who provides adaptations and what works as examples of good practice and what are the main outcomes of such interventions?

Older People from Ethnic Minorities in Kirklees: Housing Needs and Preferences Study

Kirklees Council, Housing Learning and Improvement Network Lois Beech, Ian Copeman and Darius Ghadiali May 2022

This report aims to better understand how preferences in the ageing ethnic minority population affects housing (and housing related support) needs . The findings will help inform decision making and the delivery of mainstream and specialist housing and support services suited to older people from ethnic minorities now and over the next 5 to 15 years.

A cost benefit analysis of a traditional Glasgow tenement net zero retrofit

CaCHE Anthony Higney and Ken Gibb May 2022

This report is an output from a major evaluation of a pre-1919 tenement net zero retrofit demonstration project in Glasgow.

Rent Better, Wave 2 - Final Report

RentBetter, Indigo House Group Anna Evans, Briege Nugent, Mandy Littlewood, Emma Dore, Regina Serpa, Douglas Robertson May 2022

This report wants to understand how the changes in Scotland are impacting tenants and landlords and learn from the Scottish experience of renting reform.

Public Participation In Planning In The UK: A review of the literature.

CaCHE Victoria Lawson, Ruchit Purohit, Flora Samuel, John Brennan, Lorraine Farrelly, Saul Golden, and Mhairi McVicar May 2022

Public participation in planning has extensive social, environmental and economic benefits. This is a review of research since 2010 on participation, engagement and consultation in planning with a focus on the UK, but with lessons applicable to other places. It includes a series of recommendations for a policy and industry audience.

Keeping Communities Together: How smaller social landlords and community-led housing can provide affordable, secure, low cost accommodation for communities in need

The Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion/LSE Ellie Benton, Anne Power and Ruby Russell April 2022

This report sets out the potential for small, community-based housing organisations to deliver homes for people in housing need, within their own communities. It uncovers innovative examples and models for how this can be done. The case study section is followed by a discussion, highlighting the unique role of small and community-led housing organisations, the barriers to their development, and recommendations for future policy action.

Maximising health and well-being opportunities for spatial planning in the COVID-19 pandemic recovery

Wales Health Impact Assessment Support Unit Liz Green, Sue Toner, Laura Evans, Lee Parry-Williams, Tom Johnson, Gemma Christian, Cheryl Williams, Sumina Azam and Mark A Bellis. April 2022

This report looks at the major positive and negative health impacts of housing and spatial planning policies during the COVID-19 pandemic on the population of Wales, learn from these, any positive interventions and co-benefits in order to shape a healthier future environment for all.

Insights into the use of modular housing in addressing homelessness

Centre for Homelessness Impact Katy Karampour, Gemma Burgess April 2022

Modular housing is one of the innovations increasingly used in the homelessness sector to provide temporary accommodation, but there is very limited evidence about the effectiveness of these models, the barriers and facilitators to set them up and operate them, and the experiences of people housed there. This research provides an overview of current modular and container housing provision in the UK.

Net zero ready new build housing: benefits and barriers to delivery

Cambridge Centre for Housing & Planning Research Katy Karampour, Gemma Burgess April 2022

This research investigates how housebuilders in the affordable housing sector can plan effectively for a zero carbon future by exploring the main challenges and opportunities in delivering net zero carbon ready new build housing in their sector.

Housing homeless families

National Housing Federation April 2022

This report aims to better understand how social housing is allocated to homeless families, the difference that housing can make to people’s lives, and how housing associations and local authorities can work together to support more people out of homelessness.

Rough sleeping (England)

House of Commons Library Cassie Barton, Wendy Wilson April 2022

This paper provides information on the number of rough sleepers in England and policies aimed at meeting the Government’s target of ending rough sleeping by 2024.

Urban Dwelling: a Vision for Urban Community-led Housing in Scotland

Community Land Scotland April 2022

This report calls for more community-led housing to be developed in Scotland’s urban areas and sets out a Scottish vision for how urban community-led housing can create a more diverse housing sector, building on the proven success of community land ownership, develop community wealth, address vacant and derelict land and strengthen sustainable communities.

Building recovery: Recommendations

Future of London Hannah Gibbs, Eunice Leong, Nicola Mathers, Sophie Nellis and Tara Nelson. April 2022

This report provides practical recommendations and inspiration through case studies to address post pandemic inequalities in our cities.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Future of London Hannah Gibbs, Eunice Leong, Sophie Nellis and Tara Nelson April 2022

This report sought to go beyond the question of what makes a healthy neighbourhood, as the link between the built environment and health is well documented. Instead, it focused on how to create productive collaborations between the health and built environment sectors in order to make healthy neighbourhoods the norm across London.

COVID-19: Housing market impacts and housing policy responses - an international review

CaCHE, University of Glasgow, University of Reading, UNSW City Futures Research Centre March 2022

This paper looks at the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on housing and homelessness policy in eight countries. Studying this range of countries gives the opportunity to compare similar jurisdictions with a variety of housing regimes and national governance systems.

Where next for the private rented sector?

Social Market Foundation Amy Norman, Aveek Bhattacharya March 2022

This report seeks to understand how the private rented sector might develop in the years to come, on the basis of a nationally representative survey of 1,376 adults in rented accommodation, and modelling of possible future trajectories for the housing market.

Housing is a human right

LHG and LCHR March 2022

Sixteen new essays by housing and human rights academics and practitioners who explain the position of housing in international human rights law, how those laws could be applied across areas of housing policy in the UK, and what the legal and practical implications are.

The role of housing in strengthening the rural economy

The Country Land and Business Association (CLA) March 2022

This report explores how many communities across rural England and Wales are struggling with a lack of housing stock. Put simply, communities where local people cannot afford to live are not sustainable.

Fragmented UK: Reconnecting people by creating communities where people love living in later life

Anchor March 2022

This report explores how our society has changed, identifying the accompanying challenges and how increasing housing options for older people can help to meet these challenges.

What Works: Research Impact and Homelessness

Centre for Homelessness Impact Lígia Teixeira, Hannah Green, Thomas O'Sullivan March 2022

This report celebrates the best examples of robust evaluation and 'knowledge into practice' and features 18 journal articles.

Rent control: a review of the evidence base

CaCHE Ken Gibb, Adriana Mihaela Soaita, Alex Marsh February 2022

Rent control has been with us for more than 100 years. It has been controversial and keenly debated ever since, and it remains a critical fault line in housing policy debates. With this in mind, CaCHE decided to undertake a large-scale international evidence review incorporating both economics and wider social sciences literature from 2000 to 2020.

Social security: The risks from automation and economic insecurity for England’s social renters

The RSA and Clarion Jake Jooshandeh, Hannah Webster and James Morrison February 2022

This repor seeks to understand how social renters experience economic security, their access to good work and how technological changes to workplaces might impact their futures.

Households in temporary accommodation (England)

House of Commons Library Wendy Wilson, Cassie Barton February 2022

This paper provides data on homeless households in temporary accommodation in England and outlines initiatives and issues associated with the use of temporary accommodation.

The Bottom Line: An investigation of rent arrears in social housing

Demos Maiyoraa Jeyabraba & Ben Glover February 2022

This research shows that the primary drivers of arrears in social housing are low and fluctuating income, the benefits system and unexpected and bulky costs.

Cultivating Neighbourhoods that Care: A Manifesto for change

Agile Ageing Alliance February 2022

This report draws on perspectives and best practice from around the world, and sets out how the housing sector can combat loneliness and mental health issues – among younger and older populations – and ease the associated burden of this on health and social care systems.

Self-build and custom housebuilding in the UK

Cambridge Centre for Housing & Planning Research, Places for People Richmond Ehwi, Sabina Maslova, Gemma Burgess February 2022

This report looks at the potential for the self build sector of the housing industry to help address the UK's housing crisis.

Walking the talk. An overview of the right to adequate housing and human rights issues for landlords in Scotland

CIH Scotland, Newhaven Research February 2022

This report looks at whether a human rights-sensitive approach to working has the potential to assist social and private landlords
to improve performance and tenant satisfaction.

Inclusive neighbourhoods - Promoting social inclusion in housing with care and support for older people

International Longevity Centre-UK (ILC) and The Housing Learning and Improvement Network (Housing LIN). Paul Willis January 2022

Housing with care and support (HCS) schemes are designed to prevent social isolation, promote interaction among residents and help people live independent, healthy lives as they get older. However, not much is known about how these living environments support older residents from social minorities, or how they work to ensure that all residents are equally valued and included. This policy report presents new research evidence on the provision of inclusive housing schemes for older people.

Levelling Up – Stay local, go far

PlaceShapers January 2022

The aim of this report is to demonstrate the role of housing associations in delivering levelled-up communities – and the tools they need to do so.

Plain Dealing – building for flood resilience

Localis Grace Newcombe January 2022

This report looks at what is being built on floodplain land and recommends changes to planning policy.

"I Want Us to Live Like Humans Again." Families in Temporary Accommodation in London, UK

Human Rights Watch, The Childhood Trust January 2022

This reports examines how families across London are being placed in poor quality and uninhabitable accommodation.

The growth in short-term lettings (England)

House of Commons Library Hannah Cromarty January 2022

The number of short-term lettings in England has increased significantly in recent years, due to the development and growth of the ‘sharing economy’ and ‘peer-to-peer’ accommodation services such as Airbnb. Proponents highlight the benefits of the accommodation sharing economy for consumers, providers and the economy in general. However, concerns have been raised about the negative impacts associated with the rapid growth in short-term lettings and their concentration in certain neighbourhoods.

Meeting housing demand

Built Environment Lords Select Committee January 2022

This report concludes that the Government must address barriers to building much needed new homes. Too many people currently live in expensive, unsuitable, and poor-quality homes and housing supply needs to be increased to tackle the housing crisis now.