New research centre to inform UK housing policy | WPN World People News

The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation announced the launch of the new UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence (CaCHE) on 6 April.

Housing has a considerable impact on our society and economy. Almost 1 in 10 British jobs are in the housing sector, and more than a fifth of household spending goes on rent, mortgage payments, home repairs, maintenance and improvements. The availability, cost and design of housing impacts on people’s aspirations, their health and wellbeing, and even their children’s education. Failure of housing markets can lead to wider economic problems, as well as poverty and homelessness.

The new national research centre, which will be independent from government and other interests, is a collaboration between nine UK Universities and four non-HEI organisations and will have staff located at 5 hubs across the UK in Glasgow, Sheffield, London, Cardiff and Belfast. CaCHE will be led by the University of Glasgow. CaCHE will advance knowledge of the housing market, provide robust evidence to inform housing policy and practice across the UK, and will join together a comprehensive range of stakeholders with the goal of tackling housing problems at a national, devolved, regional, and local level.

The five year centre will launch on 1st August 2017 and will receive £6 million of funding from the ESRC, with support from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and the AHRC. A further £1.5m of funding will come from the consortium itself.

The work of the programme will focus on six overlapping themes:

. Housing and the economy;
. Understanding housing markets: demand and need, supply and delivery;
. Housing aspirations, choices and outcomes;
. Housing, poverty, health, education and employment;
. Housing and neighbourhood design, sustainability and place-making;
. Multi-level governance.

Professor Ken Gibb, currently Director of Policy Scotland at the University of Glasgow, will be Principal Investigator and Director of CaCHE. He said:

“In the UK, housing is one of the main policy challenges facing national and devolved governments. This major new programme will allow policy makers and practitioners across the UK to benefit from the best possible evidence to help them take the robust action needed to tackle chronic housing problems.

“The aim is to use multi-disciplinary expertise to provide relevant and rigorous housing evidence and research to influence and ultimately alter housing policy for the benefit of all.

“I am delighted that the University of Glasgow and our partners will be taking the lead on this incredibly important subject. The serious and complex problems of the housing system are too important to ignore. This is why I’m looking forward to this major new initiative making a serious contribution to tackling one of the most pressing policy problems in the UK today.”

Professor Craig Watkins, Director of Research and Innovation for the Social Sciences at the University of Sheffield, will be the Director of Research for CaCHE. He added:

“The investment in CaCHE provides a generational opportunity for the research, policy and practice communities to work in partnership for a sustained period. The Centre is uniquely placed to foster collaboration across the housing sector to develop novel, and truly innovative solutions to the UK’s housing problems. I am delighted that Sheffield will be home to a large hub of researchers and that, as well as working with our partners regionally and nationally, we will be leading CaCHE’s doctoral training and helping develop the next generation of housing researchers”.

Professor Jane Elliott, CEO of the Economic and Social Research Council said:

“As a nation we face key housing challenges, such as a lack of affordable housing preventing young people from owning their own home, meeting the housing needs of an ageing population, building sustainable houses that are resilient to flooding and climate change, and tackling homelessness.”

“Improving the UK’s growth and stability, the cohesion of its communities and the wellbeing and prosperity of its citizens requires effective housing policies. It is therefore vital that policymakers have the best evidence at hand when making decisions about what sort of houses to build, where and for whom.”

“This Centre draws together internationally renowned experts across a diverse range of fields. It will serve as a vital national institution, and provide a leading voice in the UK on housing issues.”

Julie McLaren, Associate Director of Programmes at the Arts and Humanities Research Council, said: “The AHRC congratulates Professor Gibb and his team on an excellent bid that will provide a wide range of perspectives on UK housing. We are particularly pleased that it includes an emphasis on how the arts and humanities can contribute to a broader understanding and an improved evidence base for housing policy and practice. Alongside the other funders we look forward to working with the CaCHE team to ensure that the Centre achieves their ambitious aims.”

Source: Arts and Humanities Research Council