Housing

Budget 2013 sought to boost the economy and housing market. But as Julia Unwin argues, the lack of measures to increase supply and improve safety nets could repeat mistakes from the past.

Rising homelessness, waiting lists and house prices continue to afflict the London housing market, says Future of London director Jo Wilson.

The links between housing and poverty have been ignored for too long, Kathleen Kelly argues. Continuing to do this could have dangerous consequences.

What should be the single biggest priority for social housing providers in 2013? New homes for new residents? Better homes for existing residents? Improved non-housing services that help shape communities and improve the quality of life of all residents?

How could housing protect people in the UK from the worst effects of poverty? Kathleen Kelly highlights some of the issues JRF is exploring in its new work on housing and poverty.

In this age of austerity, sustainability is going out of fashion. But the house-building industry must remain committed to providing low-cost, high-standard homes which reduce the carbon footprint, argues John Hocking, Executive Director at the Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust.

JRF and JRHT have a long-held interest in researching and providing housing with care for older people, but we wanted to find out more about what it is like living in a scheme - especially for older people with high or increasing support needs - explains JRF programme manager Ilona Haslewood.

Large-scale institutional investment in the private rented sector has long been an ambition of housing policy. So should we take our hats off to Sir Adrian Montague for suggesting some practical ways forward to achieve the objective? Or might there also be some dangers in his proposals, particularly for so-called ‘vulnerable’ groups?

Whilst colleagues tell me that the political flag waving in David Cameron's speech is not necessarily anything to worry about, yet; I can't help it. Especially coming only two weeks after we published a major report warning of the looming housing crisis facing young people in 2020. This is also the second time a marker has been put down about removing housing benefit from under 25s. That in itself is worrying.

Just as we go into the brave new world of Universal Credit, we also hear about devolution of Council Tax Benefits, bedroom taxes, and now today a suggestion that the road ahead includes removal of Housing benefit from anyone under 25. Sorting out what all this means is a challenge for any institution: for people on the receiving end of benefits and work assessments, it must be terrifying.