By the Welsh Government Knowledge and Analytical Services team
Recent publications:
- New house building, October to December 2013
- Homelessness, October to December 2013
- Mortgage and landlord possession actions, January to March 2014
- House price index, (up to March) 2014
- Dwelling stock estimates, 2013-14
- Code for Sustainable Homes, January to March 2014
- Social housing vacancies, Lettings and Arrears, 2012-13
- Household estimates
All releases are available from www.wales.gov.uk/statistics
Housing Information Group
The group meet quarterly and act as a forum for the Welsh Government, local authorities, housing associations, and participating agencies to share views about housing information. These views cover statistical, research and other analytical requirements of Welsh housing policy and practice.
The next meeting of the Housing Information Group will be held on the June 19 at the Welsh Government Offices in Merthyr.
Further information, including agendas, minutes and papers of previous meetings or to register interest in upcoming meetings, please refer to the website: http://wales.gov.uk/statistics-and-research/housing-information-group/?lang=en
Housing research
The following housing research reports have been recently published:
- The Welsh Housing Quality Standard (WHQS) encompasses property, people, the economy and the environment. Its broad focus has strengths in that its delivery also meets a number of additional objectives, such as providing community benefits. However, this wider vision makes demonstrating achievement of the standard, and its continuing maintenance, a complex process. The Welsh Government therefore commissioned Altair Consultancy and Advisory Services to undertake the Welsh Housing Quality Standard: Verification of progress in achieving the standard with the aim of exploring how landlords judge and communicate that they are implementing the standard in accordance with the guidance; the extent of independent, external verification of compliance with the WHQS amongst landlords and the extent to which community benefits have been achieved by WHQS improvement programmes. The final report was published in May 2014.
- The Welsh Government commissioned Campbell Tickell to undertake a study exploring Support for tenant participation: priorities and shape of future provision. The aim of the study was to explore what support, financial and other, is needed for effective tenant participation in housing at national and local levels with a view to help the Welsh Government to determine how priorities in this area can be delivered in future in an effective and efficient way. The final report was published on March 11 2014.
- The \’Houses into Homes\’ scheme, which makes available loans to bring privately owned empty houses or commercial buildings back into use as homes for rent or sale, was launched in April 2012. The evaluation of the scheme is being conducted by the Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research at Sheffield Hallam University, and spans the three years of the initiative. An 18-month data bulletin was published on March 13 2014. It provides an update on the monitoring data detailing enquires, applications received and loans approved by all 22 Welsh local authorities during the first 18 months of the scheme. While this bulletin provides interim data on progress, a fuller report and analysis will be contained within the Year 2 report due for publication in Autumn 2014.
The following housing research reports are due to be published:
- Following the Aylward Review of the Supporting People Programme, a number of changes were made to the supporting governance structures in 2012, such as the introduction of the Supporting People National Advisory Board (SPNAB) and Regional Collaborative Committees (RCCs). These, and other structures, provide guidance and ultimately direction, to the Supporting People Programme, both on a national and regional level. The Welsh Government has commissioned a review of these national and regional structures, to identify best practice and make recommendations for future arrangements. The final report of the Post Aylward Review of the effectiveness of the Supporting People Programme structures is expected to be published in July 2014.
- In order to mitigate the anticipated impact of the housing benefit changes upon housing tenants, the Welsh Government made £2.15 million available for the period April 2011 to March 2014, for local authorities to use in a programme of approved work with landlords and tenants with the intention of sustaining tenancies. A monitoring system was put in place whereby a small number of standardised quantitative data items and qualitative information were collected by the Welsh Government from all local authorities. Data has already been collected and published for periods 1, to 4 (October 2011-March 2012, April 2012-September 2012, October 2012-March 2013, April 2013-September 2013), and this final report covers the fifth and final period (October 2013-March 2014), as well as providing an overview of all five periods. The final report of the monitoring information from the local authority projects to mitigate the impact of housing benefit reform, using homelessness grant funding will be published in July/August 2014.
- A research consortium of Shelter, Tai Pawb and Cardiff Metropolitan University, has been commissioned to undertake the Review of Independent Living Adaptations. This study will explore and test potential changes to the structural and delivery mechanisms for independent living adaptations, in order to move towards the Welsh Government goal of ensuring that adaptations can be delivered more speedily to those who need them and, in doing so, help to reduce inherent inequalities in the current system by ensuring joined up solutions, prevention and early intervention activity. The final report of the review is expected in early Autumn 2014.
All housing research reports can be found at: http://wales.gov.uk/statistics-and-research/?type=Social+Research&lang=en#/statistics-and-research/?topics=Housing+and+community&view=Search+results&types=Social+Research&lang=en