Know your market

Sue Beecroft

Housing strategy coordinator

Cambridge housing sub-region

The Cambridge housing sub-region

What drives our sub regional approach?

• From early days, housing leads committed, support of a network of groups

• Not unusual in experiencing…

– Extreme housing pressure, with diverse symptoms

– Determined to understand issues and make links

– Share and spread the load, in time, effort, funding

Shared housing agenda

• Deliver new homes to economic success

• Enable better health and well-being through housing and support

• Create mixed and cohesive communities

• Improve standards in existing homes and encourage “best use”

• Extend housing choice, meet housing need

• Prevent and tackle homelessness

• Promote benefits of good partnership working

Development over time

• Always focus on the issue and gather knowledge…2003: Key worker housing survey2006: Sub-regional comparison of housing needs data2006: first joint GTANA2006+ early birds on in-house SHMA and its spin-offs

• Growing library of data• Guides our shared thoughts & responses in these

changing times

Bulletins…

Bulletins…

Bulletins…

Data atlas – this one for LHA proposals…Average private rent for 3 bed Do LHAs cover the average private 3 bed rent?

Red = no

Green = yes

Projections project: stock changes by 2021

Scenario modelled:

• 5% social rent

• 65% afforable rent

• 30% shared ownership

• 20% stock conversion

• One of 6 scenarios used to start off discussions!

Projections project: incomes and affordability

Steps to delivery

• Much of this work is based on consultation, networking and feedback

• Other projects include– Annual private rents review and monthly hometrack rental

review, responding to enablers and RSLs need for data to inform “the 80% debate”

– New development surveys began so could learn lessons from Cambourne, now looking to learn some wider lessons from 6+ surveys

Benefits of a joint approach

• Clear investment priorities (LIP)• Lean approach to strategy makes

it more flexible• Focussing on the benefits of

housing to other agendas • Housing recognised as vital to a

healthy economy • Data to support sub-regional

discussion, planning, communication, adaptability…

Evolution

• Data collection and assembly is the first step• The data becomes a catalyst.• Sharing within a group which genuinely listens and

learns from a wide range of partners may be the trump card.

• Plus there is always more to learn, to absorb, to adapt to…

• …perfection is over-rated

More information…

• Housing market assessment is at www.cambridgeshirehorizons.co.uk/shma (soon to move to the JSNA web site)

• Projections Project, Market Bulletins, LIP and housing statement at www.cambridge.gov.uk/crhb

• New development surveys and Data Atlases at www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk

• Me? sue.beecroft@cambridge.gov.uk