Housing and Regeneration
"Housing is at the heart of our everyday lives. It binds our communities, contributes to our well-being, stores our wealth, drives our energy consumption and affects our job and health opportunities." (Scottish Government, Housing: Fresh Thinking, New Ideas)
In its discussion paper Housing: Fresh Thinking, New Ideas, the Scottish Government reaffirms the contribution the housing sector can make to the realisation of a number of key national goals. Housing is not just about meeting the basic provision of shelter but is seen as one of the foundations upon which to create a fairer, healthier, wealthier and greener Scotland. With this in mind, the Scottish Government has developed a range of ambitious policy initiatives aimed at improving the housing system in Scotland. These include: improving the condition of the housing stock; reducing domestic energy use; improving energy efficiency; tackling fuel poverty; preventing homelessness; and increasing the supply of affordable housing. The collection of robust and reliable research evidence is crucial in order to monitor progress against these outcomes.
At the same time, there have been major changes in the social rented sector in recent years. The housing association sector has grown considerably and six councils, most significantly Glasgow City, have undertaken full stock transfers. Furthermore, following the development of the new Housing (Scotland) Bill, and related Scottish Social Housing Charter, there has been an increasing movement towards viewing tenants as consumers, and modernisations to the way social landlords are regulated. Both of these developments have put a new onus on social landlords to consult the views of their tenants in a reliable way.
Ipsos MORI works with the Scottish Government, the Scottish Housing Regulator and other government agencies, local authorities and housing associations to develop research which addresses key issues faced by the sector. Whether it’s speaking to the public about modernisations in their home, or to tenants about their landlord’s priorities, or estimating the potential market for Home Appreciation Loans, we use the most appropriate research methods to help answer our clients’ important questions. These approaches range from surveys (postal, face to face, telephone and online) and secondary analysis of existing survey data, to qualitative research among home owners, tenants and other key stakeholders.
We currently manage Scotland’s largest housing-related survey, the Scottish House Condition Survey (SHCS), which provides robust indicators against which a number of key Scottish Government outcomes are measured; for example, information on housing disrepair and energy efficiency.
We also design ad hoc research that feeds directly into policy development: our work on understanding the priorities of tenants of social landlords, during which we consulted a range of tenants and members of Registered Tenants Organisations, informed the development of the new Scottish Social Housing Charter and reforms to the way in which social housing is regulated in Scotland.
We are also at the forefront of developing better ways of collecting information in the housing sector: we worked with the Scottish Housing Regulator to explore the most viable ways for social landlords to consult their tenants in robust way, allowing the SHR to monitor performance and landlords to better understand the needs of their tenants.
Below is a selection of the housing research we have recently undertaken.
For more information, please contact Chris Martin or Mark Diffley on 0131 220 6449
Current Projects
Evaluation of local authority hubs to prevent homelessness
Ipsos MORI, in partnership with Mandy Littlewood, has been commissioned by the Scottish Government to carry out a process evaluation of local authority hubs set up to prevent homelessness.
The key aims of the evaluation are to: explore how well these arrangements are working to deliver the 2012 homelessness target; and identify and examine what has been working well in order to develop, promote and share good practice.
The research will utilise a mixed methods approach, including:
- in-depth scoping interviews with representatives from each hub
- monitoring use of the Communities of Practice website
- in-depth interviews with selected local authority Directors of Housing
- secondary data analysis of homelessness data.
For more information, please contact
Mark Diffley on 0131 220 5699
Scottish House Condition Survey 2007-2011
The Scottish House Condition Survey (SHCS) is the largest single housing research project in Scotland. It is a national survey that links the physical condition of Scotland's homes to the experiences of its householders. Information gathered during a face-to-face social interview is linked with results from a physical survey of the property conducted by a building surveyor.
The survey:
- is the main source of information on the energy efficiency of the domestic housing stock in Scotland
- helps to monitor the quality of Scotland’s housing stock over time
- contributes to the understanding of factors that influence the condition of the housing stock
- provides a benchmark against which outputs from local house condition surveys can be measured
- has been used extensively for policy monitoring development in all areas of housing, such as fuel poverty and quality standards.
Fieldwork started in January 2007 and will continue until the end of 2011, with over 3,000 interviews and physical surveys conducted each year. The latest key findings from the survey, together with further information, can be found at the Scottish Government SHCS website.
Client contact: Ian Máté, Scottish Government, tel: 0131 244 4607
Ipsos MORI contact: Chris Martin, tel: 0131 220 5699
Scottish Household Survey
The Scottish Household Survey provides the Scottish Government with robust, up-to-date information about the characteristics, attitudes and behaviour of Scottish households and individuals on a wide range of issues.
The survey now involves 14,000 interviews with households all over Scotland and Ipsos MORI works in partnership with TNS-BMRB to track issues such as internet access, smoking, experiences of anti-social behaviour, transport use, volunteering and perceptions of local councils.
As well as being used by the Scottish Government, the data from the survey is made available to other public bodies and academics for secondary analysis. The latest key findings, together with further information, can be found at the Scottish Government’s Scottish Household Survey website.
Ipsos MORI contact: Steven Hope tel: 0131 226 8672