The 2026 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. The report date reflects when we curated the report not the publication date, though they usually coincide. To help increase awareness of this resource, please cite Thinkhouse.org.uk in work that uses sources found on this site.

Must Read

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

They're coming home. How do the living standards of younger Millennials and Gen Z fare?

Resolution Foundation Mike Brewer, Charlie McCurdy, Parth Pandya, Jamie Titus-Glover & Lalitha Try June 2026

This briefing note provides an assessment of the living standards of younger Millennials and Gen Z, given the increasing number of people in their twenties who live with their parents, and what policymakers should do to help ensure generational progress in both income and wealth and to make it easier for young people to get onto the property ladder.

Implementing the Decent Homes Standard in the Private Rented Sector: Introducing the Non-Decent Index

University of Sheffield Michael Marshall June 2026

This report introduces the Non-Decent Index (NDI). The NDI is a publicly available index designed to identify areas in England with a high number of private rented sector homes that fail the Decent Homes Standard.

Delivering the Homes London Needs: What Will It Take?

Centre for London Rob Anderson & Daniel Reast May 2026

This report provides a new, comprehensive response to London’s housing crisis: one that both addresses barriers to building new homes, while tackling the market failures that prevent existing housing supply from meeting Londoners’ needs.

How tax reform would make rent controls feasible to deliver

JRF Rosie Worsdale, Joseph Elliott, Darren Baxter, Ruby Blower May 2026

This report argues that argue that the high level of returns generally available to landlords warrant intervention on rents — both to make rents more affordable for renters, and to curb the excessive returns landlords are currently able to make and the distortive effects they have on the housing market and wider economy — at least while supply catches up.

The 2026 UK Housing Review

Chartered Institute of Housing Mark Stephens, John Perry, Peter Williams, Gillian Young April 2026

This report is the prime source of information and analysis for all concerned with housing policy and finance: a crucial resource for housing professionals, leaders, and policymakers across the UK's public and private housing sectors.
Published annually, it brings together the most important housing statistics for England (and its regions), Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Who should own the value of land? Housing, power and the deep politics of land value capture

CaCHE Edward Shepherd Tim White April 2026

Land now constitutes most of the value of a home in the UK and is, therefore, the primary element in the composition of housing costs. Who should be the primary beneficiary of these land values? Who or what, ultimately, should own the value of land and in what proportion?

New Towns: Laying the Foundations

House of Lords Built Environment Committee March 2026

This report focuses on the human side of the New Towns programme, investigating what it will take to create thriving communities in these new towns.

The Extent of Furniture Poverty 2026

End Furniture Poverty Abby Preston (lead author), Daniel Peake, Angeline Rochford-Briggs, Claire Donovan March 2026

This report reveals a stark reality: millions of people across the UK are still living without the essential furniture and appliances needed for a safe, dignified and healthy home. Despite increased political attention and changes in welfare policy, the scale and severity of furniture poverty have not meaningfully improved since the last report in 2022.

Build Up Not Trickle Down: The Case for Need-Led Housing Policy

Shelter Sam Bloomer, Dr. Charlie Berry, Charlie Trew February 2026

This paper sets out why a ‘trickle down’ approach to housing policy – prioritising private supply at the expense of social housing – cannot fix the affordability crisis and will fail to end the housing emergency. That’s why the government must adopt a need-led development model.

Further Reports

Towards a Visualisation of the Scottish Housing System

Andrew Robert Watson July 2026

This working paper sets out a visual approach to conceptualise the system-wide challenges facing the Scottish housing system

Housing Solutions: Practical insights from the housing sector

The Housing Forum Anna Clarke July 2026

This report sets out the key ways that policymakers and the housing sector can work together to deliver a quality home for all.

More Homes Scotland and the Development of a New Housing Agency for Scotland

CaCHE Ken Gibb, Andrew Robert Watson, Alice Earley, Gareth James July 2026

This report contributes to critical questions about the functions, form and design of the powers and mission of the Scottish Housing Agency.

Social and Public Housing in the EU and UK: Scotland

CaCHE Ken Gibb July 2026

Commissioned by the Irish Department of Housing, Housing Europe’s Social and Public Housing in the EU and UK report maps public, cooperative and social housing systems across the EU and the UK, comparing how they are financed, governed, allocated and linked to wider social policy. This chapter focusing on Scotland

Social and Public Housing in the EU and UK: Northern Ireland

CaCHE Joe Frey July 2026

Social and Public Housing in the EU and UK: England

CaCHE Mark Stephens July 2026

Social and Public Housing in the EU and UK: Wales

CaCHE Bob Smith July 2026

Policy briefing: Supporting resident-led governance in multi-occupancy buildings

CaCHE Yu-Tung Wu, Jenny Preece July 2026

This policy briefing draws on evidence from a systematic review of international research spanning 25 countries to examine the opportunities and challenges of resident-led governance in blocks of flats and other multi-occupancy buildings.

Spain’s housing policy turn and the challenge of multi-level governance

CaCHE Iago Martínez-Durán July 2026

Spain is undergoing the most significant of turns in its state housing policy since the restoration of democracy in the 1970s. Three measures illustrate the drive to reform a system historically oriented towards home ownership: the reintroduction of rent control after forty years, the creation of the first state-owned company intended to develop and manage social and affordable housing on a permanent basis, and the reinforcement of the country’s residual public stock under new parameters.

England’s £79 Billion Housing Subsidy

CPS Ben Hopkinson July 2026

This short analysis breaks down the cost of building and maintaining England’s social housing stock, as well as highlighting the astonishing difference between social and private rent – for which the taxpayer pays the price.

On the Ladder

Fabian Society Ben Cooper, Palma Oxley July 2026

This report analyses the scale of the decline in homeownership among young people, its causes, and its impact on new-build housing supply. It sets out a series of recommendations to help more people afford their first home, reduce the costs of homeownership, and improve consumer outcomes for those buying a new-build property.

More than Bricks: Stories of Home

Shelter July 2026

Qualitative longitudinal research findings on the benefits of social homes

Options for reducing Housing Revenue Account debt

Shelter Savills Affordable Housing Consultancy July 2026

This research examines the effect of Housing Revenue Account debt on councils’ ability to invest in existing homes and build new social rent housing. It concludes that substantial debt reduction could unlock significant additional social rent delivery.

Safe And Abundant Reforming The BSR To Solve The Urban Housing Crisis

TYI July 2026

Published in October 2025 this reports draws on date from 2024 and before.

Quick Wins

Fabian Society Ben Cooper, Palma Oxley July 2026

This paper sets out a stimulus package of ‘quick wins’ to ramp up the number of good quality homes built in the communities that need them. Implemented together, these reforms could deliver an extra 87,000 dwellings a year – equivalent to raising predicted housebuilding in 2029-30 by 36 per cent.

Fixing London Housing

The Centre for Policy Studies (CPS) & Onward Ben Hopkinson & Laurence Fredricks July 2026

This report addresses what it terms the worst housebuilding crisis in the capital since the Second World War, noting that London construction starts have fallen to historic lows despite rapid population growth.

Affordable Housing Review

EqualHouse Mark Stephens, Michelle Norris, Philip O'Brien, Alice Earley, Lucy O'Hara, Ken Gibb, Julie Lawson, Ross Beveridge, Gareth James July 2026

This report, undertakes an extended literature review of academic and policy literature across four themes that each covers a core grouping for housing policy instruments. It explores how policy instruments are used by the 27 EU member states and the UK to make housing more affordable.

Blueprint New Zealand: What People Want

ARCO June 2026

ARCO worked with the HomeOwners Alliance to understand public attitutdes toward older people's housing and what features make it a more attractive option. It reveals strong public backing for key features of New Zealand-style housing-with-care schemes - known in the UK as 'Integrated Retirement Communities' - such as fixed monthly fees.

Designing Climate-Resilient Social Housing: Why Weather File Choice Matters for Future Energy Demand

University of Manchester Claire Brown and Andrew Welfle June 2026

This study investigates how future climate change will alter heating and cooling demand in UK social housing, addressing wider concerns about fuel poverty risks and long-term climate resilience.

Build the homes Wales needs and unlock hundreds of millions in community investment

Home Builders Federation June 2026

This report reveals the substantial contribution the private home building sector makes to Welsh communities, local economies and public services, while highlighting the significant opportunities that could be unlocked by increasing housing delivery during this Senedd term.

Building Health into Homes

Royal College of Occupational Therapists June 2026

The report argues that too many people are discharged to homes that do not meet their needs, which exacerbates health conditions and increases demand on services. The analysis finds that poor housing is costing the NHS in England £1.5 billion annually.

Affordability of Home Ownership

Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee June 2026

A report into what the Government needs to do to make home ownership more affordable.

Procurement – the price we pay, and the path to improvement

The Housing Forum June 2026

This short report argues that procurement timelines, fragmented decision-making and risk-averse approaches are significantly increasing the cost of housebuilding, especially across the public sector. It also identifies practical opportunities to reduce costs and increase delivery of new homes.

Entry, Exposure and Exit: The private rented sector landlord conveyor

CaCHE Andrew Robert Watson June 2026

This short paper probes the life-cycle and structural mobility of individual landlords operating within the UK's private rented sector (PRS). It charts the socio-economic friction points determining when landlords expand their portfolios, their exposure to market fluctuations, and the systemic triggers that prompt an exit from the rental market altogether, offering key insights for targeted PRS regulatory policies.

North Birmingham Decent Neighbourhood Standard: Erdington High Street

Witton Lodge Community Association Halima Sacranie and Simeon Shtebunaev June 2026

An interesting project report that aims to: conduct a baseline assessment of local quality; develop benchmarked indicators; build a prototype monitoring dashboard to foster community deliberation; identify data gaps for future research; and deploy dashboard insights to support strategic planning and regional partnerships.

Social Value in Social Housing 2025: An annual review of trends, measurement and impact across the social housing sector

HACT June 2026

An annual review of trends, measurement and impact across the social housing sector

Hidden housing crisis facing older private renters in Northern Ireland

Commissioner for Older People for Northern Ireland Ángel Leira Pernas May 2026

This report highlights that the number of older private renters in Northern Ireland is set to rise significantly and the challenges faced by today’s older renters are likely to become a mainstream social issue affecting future generations. The report calls for action to strengthen protections for private renters and ensure housing is safe, secure and suitable for an ageing population.

A modern system for fair rents

New Economics Foundation George Bangham, Grace Brown, Molly Harris, Jaya Sood May 2026

This working paper analyses today’s affordability crisis in the private-rented sector (PRS), and the wide range of factors driving it. Its emphasis is on learning from history and from other countries: affordability crises have happened before, and policymakers have learned how to tackle them successfully.

It's Time For A Social Rent Revolution

Manchester Social Housing Commission Stuart Hodkinson, with Venus Galarza, Naomi Luhde-Thompson, Sophie King, and Tom Chance May 2026

The Commission’s final report sets out the substantive case for an acceleration of building sustainable social rent homes, presents the key recommendations and assesses progress achieved to date, and reflects on the process followed by the Commission, creating an argument for better public participation in policy making.

High housing costs in the private rental sector: The case for action

IPPR Maya Singer Hobbs, Henry Parkes and Tazu Walden May 2026

This paper attempts to tackle the case for rent controls head-on and demonstrate how a system designed with past failings in mind can significantly mitigate these consequences.

Governing multi-occupancy buildings: learning from the international evidence base

CaCHE Jenny Preece, Yu-Tung Wu May 2026

This report is an evidence review into the international evidence on the governance of multi-occupancy buildings (blocks of flats). The aim is to learn lessons about the challenges across the life of buildings, with a view to informing policy in this area as England moves towards a stronger role for Commonhold models of building management.

The Viability Crunch

HBF May 2026

This report reveals that £76,000 has been added to the cost of building a home since 2020, raising serious concerns about the viability of new housing developments across the UK.

Building Skills: Tackling The Built Economy Skills Crisis

Fabian Society Joe Dromey , Sasjkia Otto May 2026

This report examines the workforce and skills crisis facing the sector, with a particular focus on both the construction industry and engineering and building services trades. It sets out key policy recommendations to address the crisis and outlines how to develop the skilled workforce needed to deliver the homes and infrastructure we need.

No More Excuses, affordable rural housing works

English Rural David Barrowcliff, Sean Brennan May 2026

Why ‘rural housing is too expensive to manage’ has never been true – and why now is the moment to act.

Understanding affordability: Who does the private rented sector in wales work for? And how do we change it?

Shelter Cymru May 2026

Shelter Cymru, working with the ONS, has established a new approach to understanding affordability. Based on that, they have concluded that unless you are a two-income household in mid-Wales we would have little confidence that the private rented sector can provide you with an affordable home.

Course correction: How to densify British cities

Centre for Cities Maurice Lange, Luka Kovacevic and Zoë Johnson April 2026

This report is the latest in a series of papers that uses data on historic neighbourhood age and Centre for Cities’ residential densities dataset to dig deeper into where densification needs to occur and what policy needs to do differently.

Delivering Affordable Housing Growth; a Partnership Approach for England

L&G Read Leask, Ben Denton, Vincent Chawatama April 2026

This report says that housing associations could get the funding needed to build 18,500 affordable homes per year by selling homes into a new joint venture model with institutional investors

Roadmap to the future of council homes

Shelter Charlie Berry April 2026

This briefing sets out 5 key changes the government must make to unleash a council housing revolution, knocking down the barriers to councils building social rent homes at scale once again.

Mind the (Viability) Gap

The Purposeful Finance Commission April 2026

This research finds longstanding issues with regulation, financing, land availability, and consultations have all contributed to a widening viability gap in the social and affordable housing sector.

Tenure change: turning existing dwellings and buildings into social homes

Bevan Foundation and Shelter Cymru Wendy Dearden April 2026

This report considers the opportunities, in Wales, to turn existing dwellings and buildings into social homes, the benefits, but also the barriers to this being done at scale.

Replacing Empty Spaces with Productive, Green Places

CASE, LSE Laura Lane and Bert Provan April 2026

This research highlights opportunities for the conversion of disused buildings into new homes to help tackle housing affordability and the climate crisis.

Land that works for us

New Economics Foundation Molly Harris, Emmet Kibberd, Hannah Peaker April 2026

This report reimagines how the stewardship of public land can prioritise social outcomes, community voices, and local capacity building.

Investigation into shared ownership

NAO March 2026

This report sets out the facts on how the shared ownership model in England works, the challenges that affect shared ownership, redress (routes for complaints and resolution) for shared owners, and improvements made to the model by MHCLG and Homes England

Yes in our Backyard

Co-operative Party March 2026

This reports looks at community led housing and how it can help solve the housing crisis

Rebuilding the Ladder

Enfield Council and Pocket Living March 2026

This report suggests that student loan debt could be converted into a shared equity stake held by the government to help young people access the housing ladder.

Mapping the homelessness workforce

Homeless Link, MHCLG March 2026

This research sought to build a broad understanding of the homelessness sector, including: quantifying the scale and shape of the sector; understanding who works in the sector and their pay and conditions; why people join, remain and leave the sector; learning and development opportunities and needs; and the experiences of the homelessness workforce.

Housing The Future

Fabian Housing Centre Ben Cooper March 2026

This report sets out how the next Scottish government should use its powers to deliver a significant increase in housebuilding rates and tackle high housing costs. It analyses the main impacts of the shortage of housing, and examines why Scotland hasn’t built enough since 2007.

The Benefits of Youth?

Commonweal Housing and Spring Housing Association March 2026

This report tracked the progress of young people in commissioned supported housing who participated in a DWP pilot aimed at addressing barriers and disincentives to entering employment.

Understanding the tools for integrating land use decision-making

CPRE Ellie Brodie March 2026

This report warns that the government’s Land Use Framework, will not solve the fundamental question of what gets built where. It argues that policy tools to guide better land-use decisions already exist but remain fragmented and largely neglected.

Creating Intergenerational Communities

All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Housing and Care for Older People Lois Beech March 2026

This report brings together two separate themes: the need for more accommodation specifically tailored to meet the needs of an ageing population, and the desire for many people to live in mixed-age communities that bring generations together.

Developer-Funded, Government-Backed Loan-to-Own Scheme For First Time Buyer

TYI March 2026

This policy note proposes a government-backed equity loan of up to 20%, interest-free for the buyer for the first five years, with developers paying a 5% annual coupon to the Treasury to cover financing costs, turning the scheme into a revenue-generator for the government while saving the average buyer £500 a month.

More Homes Scotland: Debating a New Housing Agency

CaCHE Ken Gibb Alice Earley Gareth March 2026

This short briefing paper summarises several design choices for a Scottish Housing Agency and consequences of these decisions.

Rough Sleeping Tracker

CSJ March 2026

This analysis of official data shows that for the fourth consecutive year, the number of people sleeping rough on England’s streets has increased, by 96 per cent since 2021, and by 171 per cent since 2010.

Unspent developer contributions

Home Builders Federation March 2026

This report estimates that the total value of developer contributions held unspent by local authorities in England and Wales has increased to £9 billion, a rise of £800 million from mid-2024 despite declining housing delivery and reduced developer contribution receipts in recent years.

Homelessness Allocations by Housing Associations: Evidencing the contribution of the Sector

Scottish Federation of Housing Associations March 2026

This report cites research that demonstrates that thousands of homes provided to homeless households by housing associations go unreported each year.

Homes for the future What kind of housing and neighbourhoods will meet London’s changing needs?

Future for London Federico Ortiz and Victoria Pearce February 2026

Chasing numbers alone will not meet London’s housing demand unless we focus on the types of homes and neighbourhoods needed to match changing lifestyles. This research paper finds five priorities for long-term solutions.

Poundbury not Peterborough. A Response to the Government’s New Towns Proposals.

Policy Exchange Ike Ijeh February 2026

This report reviews the Government’s New Towns plans, compares them to historic precedents and established best practice and makes targeted recommendations aimed at maximising the programme’s chances of success.

Milton Keynes Lost, how paradisiacal second staircase regulation erased a city the size of Milton Keynes

Place Base Jamie Ratcliff February 2026

This report examines the implications of the UK government’s July 2023 decision to mandate second staircases in all new residential buildings over 18 metres in height.

My Home, My Life

Open University, Bangla Housing Association and the Housing LIN February 2026

This report studies the housing circumstances of the Bangladeshi ‘probin’ community across 4 East London boroughs (Hackney, Newham, Redbridge and Tower Hamlets).

Housing Conditions in the Social Rented Sector

Housing, Communities and Local Government (HCLG) Committee February 2026

While most social homes provide tenants with warm, safe and decent places to live, this report finds that too many people living in social housing suffer from appalling housing conditions and do not have their complaints treated seriously.

Croydon calling: Lessons on rules-based planning

Centre For Cities Maurice Lange February 2026

This briefing analyses data from when the ‘Suburban Design Guide’ (SDG), a successful ‘experiment’ in rules-based planning conducted in Croydon from 2019 to 2022, was in place; explains its success and provides lessons for London, other cities and the national planning reform agenda.

Assessing delivery, needs and challenges of the Mayor’s Affordable Homes

London Assembly February 2026

This report warns that the London’s affordable housing system is failing to keep up with need, despite the Mayor’s Affordable Homes Programme. It found that certain types of housing are in particularly short supply, including family-sized rent homes and accessible homes for deaf and disabled Londoners.

Homelessness in the Classroom

Shelter January 2026

One in 78 schoolchildren in England is homeless in temporary accommodation. This report looks at the effects that being homeless has on their health, wellbeing, education and relationships, as seen through the eyes of their teachers.

Broken Ladder: The Affordability Gap

HBF January 2026

This short report explains why policymakers should place greater emphasis on the demand side of the housing market.

Intelligent Measured Data. Smarter Retrofit. Better Outcomes.

The Good Economy, Lloyds Banking Group January 2026

A study of how innovation in property technology can deliver better outcomes in social housing. We have curated the appendices and the interactive report can be accessed by pasting the link below into your browser. https://lloydsbank.turtl.co/story/smarter-retrofit-better-outcomes/page/1

Housing Quality and Health – an Economic Analysis

CaCHE, University of Glasgow Kathleen Boyd, Nishant Jaiswal, Francesco Manca, Gareth James, Ken Gibb January 2026

This report aims to assess the economic impact of poor-quality housing on health outcomes in Scotland. Ultimately, it seeks to inform the ongoing critical discussion regarding housing as a determinant of health and driver of health inequalities, particularly concerning the impacts of good quality housing and the economic costs of poor-quality housing in the Scottish context to inform and influence the future policy and national health and housing strategies.

Local housing allowance: A safety net unravelling

Shelter, Cymru Mark Eaton-Lees January 2026

This peer research-led work updates the evidence base for the impact of Local Housing Allowance policy decisions for people and government in Wales.