Research update

Research update by the Welsh Government Knowledge and Analytical Services team

Latest news

Here is an update from the Welsh Government statisticians, economists, social researchers and librarians working on evidence for the development and monitoring of housing policy and legislation.

We are pleased to have published a number of research reports on the Welsh Government website in the last few months:

• York University was awarded the contract to undertake a scoping study for the Supporting People programme. The aim of the study was to provide an overview of the nature and extent of Supporting People services in Wales, and to scope options for the commissioning of a large-scale research project to evaluate the supporting people programme. The Scoping Study was published in September 2013.

• Campbell Tickell was awarded the contract to evaluate the current standard and future challenges for governance within housing associations and to identify the training and development needs of their governing boards. The final report was published in September.

• Key monitoring data to support the houses into homes scheme was published in August 2013.

• The results of a review of accessible housing registers, undertaken by Shelter Cymru and Disability Wales, are now available (published July 2013)

• An Interim Evaluation of the Regulatory framework for housing associations was published in June. Cardiff University, in partnership with Shelter Cymru, were awarded the contract for this work, and collected data and information from a wide range of sources and stakeholders for this study. The overall aim of the evaluation was to provide information for the Regulatory Board for Wales about the process by which the framework has been implemented, and provide an early indication as to its impact.

The above reports will all be available on the Welsh Government Housing Research web page.

Official housing statistics

Knowledge and analytical services also collect and publish a wide range of official housing statistics, predominantly relating to social housing, but also on topics such as statutory homelessness, provision of affordable housing, demolitions and new house building. Further information on what we collect and publish can be found, along with the data collection forms, on the housing statistics theme page: http://new. wales.gov.uk/topics/statistics/theme/ housing/?lang=en

More detailed statistics can also be found on our interactive StatsWales website.

Statistical article: dwelling stock estimates

This statistical article, published on 20 August 2013, looks at the differences between the number of dwellings recorded during the 2011 Census and the rolled forward annual estimates of dwellings based on the 2001 Census.

The article describes the methodology used for calculating the dwelling stock estimates on an annual basis, the difference between the estimate of dwellings for 31 March 2011 and the 2011 Census count at a Wales and local authority level and the factors which may have impacted on the difference between the two sets of data.

Housing Information Group

The Welsh Government Housing information Group involves Welsh Government analytical staff and people from across public, voluntary and private organisations working in housing, to develop and share evidence for housing policy and practice. Details about the group and its quarterly meetings are published on the Welsh Government website.

Recent outputs

• New house building, April to June 2013

• House price index, June 2013

• Mortgage and landlord possession actions, April to June 2013

• Social housing stock and rents as at 31 March 2013

• Homelessness, January to March 2013

Forthcoming outputs:

• Welsh Housing Quality Standard (WHQS) as at 31 March 2013 Publication date: 9 October 2013

• Affordable Housing Provision, 2012-13 to 2014-15

• Publication date: 24 October 2013

• Mortgage and Landlord Possession Actions, April to June 2013 Publication date: 15 November 2013

• New House building, July to September 2013