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CIH launches social housing research project
A new social housing research project is aiming to start “a wide-ranging debate about the future of social housing”.
The new project, run by the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH), will combine original research and engagement with social landlords and tenants to feed into the government’s upcoming Social Housing Green Paper.
The project will have three ‘streams’. One will gather views on social housing from the sector and associated professions. Another will examine the views of social tenants and the general public about social housing. The third stream will focus on the profile of people who currently live in social housing.
Terrie Alafat CBE, chief executive of the CIH, said: “It is a crucial time for social housing and recent events, including the Grenfell Tower tragedy, have thrust social housing into the spotlight. We think there are a number of fundamental questions that we need to answer about its role and contribution.
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“The government has committed to conducting a top-to-bottom review in its green paper but we want people who live and work in social housing to lead the debate about where it goes next - that is why we are launching Rethinking social housing.
“We want as many individuals and organisations to take part as possible and giving a voice to tenants and the public will be a crucial part of the project.
“We are delighted to have a group of leaders from across the sector on board. This is a project that will evolve and the group will continually assess the project based on its findings to guide its future work.”
The advisory group for the project will be co-chaired by Paul Tennant, former chief executive of Orbit, and Ken Gibb, professor in housing economics at the University of Glasgow.
It is sponsored by housing associations Sovereign, Home Group, Peabody, InCommunities, Optivo, PA Housing, Riverside Group, South Liverpool Homes. It will also be supported by an advisory group, including Newcastle Council, and membership bodies such as the Association for Retained Council Housing and the National Federation of ALMOs.
The first results of the project will be published early next year and a final publication will be launched in June.
Mr Tennant said: “There’s no doubt that this is a crucial time to ask some fundamental questions about the role and purpose of social housing.
“This is set to be an extremely important project which will help us to define that role, make sure that social housing is meeting people’s needs and ultimately make the case for social housing.”
Update: at 15.08 on 15.11.17 CIH contacted Inside Housing to say that the initial list of sponsors it had provided was incorrect. Two organisations had been wrongly included. One has been removed and one has had its correct name used.
