A new project by the Chartered Institute of Housing aims to help shape the future of social housing.
“Rethinking social housing” will combine original research and engagement with the sector, tenants, politicians and the public to explore fundamental questions about the future of social housing.
The project aims to:
• Stimulate a wide-ranging debate about the future of social housing
• Make the case for social housing
• Understand and challenge perceptions of social housing
• Influence and shape the direction of future housing policy and feed directly into the government’s housing green paper.
The project will have three streams of work:
• Stream one will test and gather views on the role and purpose of social housing from, the housing sector and other associated professions including health and social care. It will focus on three key questions:
- What is social housing?
- What does social housing do?
- Who is social housing for?
• Stream two will capture a broader range of views of the role and purpose of social housing. It will focus on two key questions:
- What is the public’s perception of social housing?
- What the experiences and perceptions of people who live in social housing?
• Stream three will seek to gain a clear picture of who currently lives in social housing, with the aim of improving public understanding. It will focus on two key questions:
- Who is currently living in social housing?
- What is the value of social housing?
The project’s advisory group will be co-chaired by chief executive of the Law Commission and former Orbit chief executive and CIH president, Paul Tennant and Ken Gibb, professor in housing economics at the University of Glasgow and director the Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence (CaCHE).
The first results are set to be published early next year with a final publication in June at Housing 2018 which will include recommendations to the sector and the government.
The advisory group for the project also includes:
• Newcastle City Council
• JRF
• Northern Housing Consortium
• National Federation of ALMOs
• Association of Retained Council Housing
• Royal Town Planning Institute
• TPAS