Boosting the supply of affordable rented housing in the UK: learning from other countries
Lead Research Organisation:
De Montfort University
Department Name: Politics and Public Policy
Abstract
Places for People (PfP), one of the largest housing development and management organisations in the UK, will partner the Centre for Comparative Housing Research (CCHR) at De Montfort University in this knowledge exchange opportunity. Working together the partners will examine the feasibility of using fresh ideas, generated by an examination of policy and practice in North America and Western Europe, to initiate innovative practice and policy that will boost the production of affordable housing for rent in the UK. The research will build on previous research into housing supply overseas by CCHR. It will also benefit from the vast experience of PfP in developing and managing homes. They have already used innovative ideas from overseas such as planning for a Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) that could raise up to £500 million for investment in new housing.
Over a period of six months the research partners will look at the housing policy context and explore policy and institutional changes that are needed to boost the construction of housing for rent in the UK. The basis of the research will be updating, extending and most importantly exploring the possible impact for PfP and others of previous research. The project will also define the parameters of a future more detailed applied research project.
The theoretical context is the international transferability of policy and practice instruments. The practical transferability within a UK context will be tested in collaboration with PfP personnel and the researchers will engage with other housing suppliers and government departments. There will be an emphasis on financial incentives to boost housing construction for affordable rented housing in the USA and France (although incentives in other countries will also be considered).
Professor Michael Oxley will work on the project with Ros Lishman and Dr Tim Brown from CCHR. Several staff from PfP will also work with CCHR. There will additionally be some inputs from colleagues overseas including the OTB Research Institute for the Built Environment at Delft University of Technology, Netherlands.
The impact and practical transferability questions will be addressed through a series of discussions, presentations and seminars involving PfP staff and other stakeholders including other housing organisations local government and central government departments. PfP and CCHR will work together on the policy transfer questions and the agenda for future research. Significant knowledge exchange will be encouraged through joint working between PfP and CCHR. The target audience for the research is non-academic stakeholders in the private, public and civil society sectors. It will thus be of relevance to a range of housing producers, including private firms and housing associations. It will furthermore have significant implications for government policy towards housing production. Government wants more house building and it wants more affordable rented housing. It is seeking ways of achieving this. This research will help produce new ideas and it will, through the involvement of PfP, apply a rigorous 'reality check' to the value and applicability of fresh ideas.
In line with ESRC strategic objectives the research will examine the possible impact of key public policy interventions and it will appraise, in the light of the connections between the global financial crisis and depleted house building, appropriate institutional responses.
Ultimately it is expected that this research will have an impact on the volume of housing construction and the availability of rented housing for lower income households. It will do this by influencing the actions of housing suppliers (in the private and public sectors) and of government. The long term economic and societal impacts will thus be highly significant and will be promoted by direct and indirect engagement with the target audience.
Over a period of six months the research partners will look at the housing policy context and explore policy and institutional changes that are needed to boost the construction of housing for rent in the UK. The basis of the research will be updating, extending and most importantly exploring the possible impact for PfP and others of previous research. The project will also define the parameters of a future more detailed applied research project.
The theoretical context is the international transferability of policy and practice instruments. The practical transferability within a UK context will be tested in collaboration with PfP personnel and the researchers will engage with other housing suppliers and government departments. There will be an emphasis on financial incentives to boost housing construction for affordable rented housing in the USA and France (although incentives in other countries will also be considered).
Professor Michael Oxley will work on the project with Ros Lishman and Dr Tim Brown from CCHR. Several staff from PfP will also work with CCHR. There will additionally be some inputs from colleagues overseas including the OTB Research Institute for the Built Environment at Delft University of Technology, Netherlands.
The impact and practical transferability questions will be addressed through a series of discussions, presentations and seminars involving PfP staff and other stakeholders including other housing organisations local government and central government departments. PfP and CCHR will work together on the policy transfer questions and the agenda for future research. Significant knowledge exchange will be encouraged through joint working between PfP and CCHR. The target audience for the research is non-academic stakeholders in the private, public and civil society sectors. It will thus be of relevance to a range of housing producers, including private firms and housing associations. It will furthermore have significant implications for government policy towards housing production. Government wants more house building and it wants more affordable rented housing. It is seeking ways of achieving this. This research will help produce new ideas and it will, through the involvement of PfP, apply a rigorous 'reality check' to the value and applicability of fresh ideas.
In line with ESRC strategic objectives the research will examine the possible impact of key public policy interventions and it will appraise, in the light of the connections between the global financial crisis and depleted house building, appropriate institutional responses.
Ultimately it is expected that this research will have an impact on the volume of housing construction and the availability of rented housing for lower income households. It will do this by influencing the actions of housing suppliers (in the private and public sectors) and of government. The long term economic and societal impacts will thus be highly significant and will be promoted by direct and indirect engagement with the target audience.
Planned Impact
Over time, this research is intended to increase the volume of housing construction in the UK. In particular it is expected to have a positive effect on the amount of affordable rented housing that is to be occupied by households who cannot afford home ownership or commercial rents. It will benefit a wide spectrum of society, and indeed society and the economy as whole through the positive social and economic impacts of an increase in housing production.
In the shorter term, the principal impacts will be on those who participate in the research and those who are influenced by its findings. A key participant and a partner in the bid is Places for People (PfP), one of the largest suppliers of housing in the UK. This research will inform the practices of the organisation as it learns from practices in other countries that lead to increased rates of production. The company has already shown an interest in internationally inspired innovation through its plans to develop a Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) to raise funds for investment in new housing. This project will help them to gain awareness of other ideas that have worked elsewhere. During the research this knowledge will be made available to other housing suppliers, including housing associations and private developers, who .participate in the research. Findings will be placed in the public domain at the end of the work, meaning all housing producers will be able to benefit.
The research will be of interest to all housing providers and to their representative organisations. There will, in particular, be interest in the findings from the Chartered Institute of Housing, the National Housing Federation and the Home Builders Federation. All of these organisations will, though the proposed engagement strategy, be made aware of the findings.
Much of the work will concern government policies in other countries. It will investigate how public policy can incentivise affordable rented housing through, for example, favourable tax treatment and low cost finance. The research will illustrate how, for example, taxation has been used in the USA and France to encourage developers (in the public, private and non-profit sectors) to build housing. Such housing, with policy determined conditions attached to the rents charged and to the socio-economic status of the occupants, has been promoted through a variety of approaches in these countries and others. The ideas that come from other countries, and North America and Western Europe in particular, will be set alongside the success (including the numbers of dwellings built) of these measures. The research will explore the reality of such ideas informing policy in the UK. It will be of relevance to the housing policies applied by governments in England and in the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Government departments in England, especially the Department of Communities and Local Government and the Treasury will be contacted as part of the research process. They will be offered information from the research findings and will be asked to comment on the feasibility and the desirability of policy changes. The major political parties in England will also be made aware of the interim and final findings from the research and asked to participate in an exchange of ideas over the course of the research.
After the research is completed all the evidence and the conclusions will be in the public domain. There will thus be an opportunity for policy makers throughout the UK to benefit from the improved knowledge that the research generates. The potential for an impact on policy depends upon the acceptance of ideas and quantifiable evidence collected from the research project.
In the shorter term, the principal impacts will be on those who participate in the research and those who are influenced by its findings. A key participant and a partner in the bid is Places for People (PfP), one of the largest suppliers of housing in the UK. This research will inform the practices of the organisation as it learns from practices in other countries that lead to increased rates of production. The company has already shown an interest in internationally inspired innovation through its plans to develop a Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) to raise funds for investment in new housing. This project will help them to gain awareness of other ideas that have worked elsewhere. During the research this knowledge will be made available to other housing suppliers, including housing associations and private developers, who .participate in the research. Findings will be placed in the public domain at the end of the work, meaning all housing producers will be able to benefit.
The research will be of interest to all housing providers and to their representative organisations. There will, in particular, be interest in the findings from the Chartered Institute of Housing, the National Housing Federation and the Home Builders Federation. All of these organisations will, though the proposed engagement strategy, be made aware of the findings.
Much of the work will concern government policies in other countries. It will investigate how public policy can incentivise affordable rented housing through, for example, favourable tax treatment and low cost finance. The research will illustrate how, for example, taxation has been used in the USA and France to encourage developers (in the public, private and non-profit sectors) to build housing. Such housing, with policy determined conditions attached to the rents charged and to the socio-economic status of the occupants, has been promoted through a variety of approaches in these countries and others. The ideas that come from other countries, and North America and Western Europe in particular, will be set alongside the success (including the numbers of dwellings built) of these measures. The research will explore the reality of such ideas informing policy in the UK. It will be of relevance to the housing policies applied by governments in England and in the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Government departments in England, especially the Department of Communities and Local Government and the Treasury will be contacted as part of the research process. They will be offered information from the research findings and will be asked to comment on the feasibility and the desirability of policy changes. The major political parties in England will also be made aware of the interim and final findings from the research and asked to participate in an exchange of ideas over the course of the research.
After the research is completed all the evidence and the conclusions will be in the public domain. There will thus be an opportunity for policy makers throughout the UK to benefit from the improved knowledge that the research generates. The potential for an impact on policy depends upon the acceptance of ideas and quantifiable evidence collected from the research project.