Monday, 30 October 2023
New research from the University of Nottingham has shown that those placed out of area by their local authority are negatively impacted with mental health and a loss of support networks.
Out of Area housing is a practice where local authorities discharge their duty to accommodate homeless households by placing them in other local authority areas.
Researchers from the School of Sociology and Social Policy at the University of Nottingham found that communication and support from local authorities was lacking once placed out of area and that moving out of area negatively affects children’s education and emotional wellbeing.
Households also found that GPs and other services, including internet services, were difficult to access, furthering their isolation and vulnerability.
The research, conducted by Dr Steve Iafrati, Dr Nick Clare and Helen Lawrence, found that more than 36,000 households were placed out of area in 2022/23.
Black households were also found to be disproportionately placed out of area, whilst some local authorities fail to record ethnicity data of the people being placed out of area.
Dr Steve Iafrati, Assistant Professor of Social Policy at the University of Nottingham, who led the research said: “Both the statistics from FOI requests and information from interviews we have conducted are deeply troubling. We clearly have a rapidly escalating problem with ‘out of area’ housing and the impact which it is having on those placed often a significant distance from their original authority.
“There is a clear and deepening issue of supply of affordable housing with a lack of transparent national housing strategy and societies most vulnerable are feeling the brunt. The fact that such a large proportion of local authorities do not record data relating to ethnicity is alarming and demonstrates that they are not able to investigate the impact of the housing crisis in terms of disproportionate impact on Black and minoritised ethnic households. Without such data, inequalities risk being hidden and out of sight only serving to further systemic disparities.”
You can access the policy brief online here.
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More information is available from Dr Steve Iafrati on Steve.Iafrati@nottingham.ac.uk
Faith Pring - Media Relations Manager
Email: faith.pring@nottingham.ac.uk
Phone: 0115 748 4411
Location: University of Nottingham, University Park
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About the University of Nottingham
Ranked 32 in Europe and 16th in the UK by the QS World University Rankings: Europe 2024, the University of Nottingham is a founding member of the Russell Group of research-intensive universities. Studying at the University of Nottingham is a life-changing experience, and we pride ourselves on unlocking the potential of our students. We have a pioneering spirit, expressed in the vision of our founder Sir Jesse Boot, which has seen us lead the way in establishing campuses in China and Malaysia - part of a globally connected network of education, research and industrial engagement.
Nottingham was crowned Sports University of the Year by The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024 – the third time it has been given the honour since 2018 – and by the Daily Mail University Guide 2024.
The university is among the best universities in the UK for the strength of our research, positioned seventh for research power in the UK according to REF 2021. The birthplace of discoveries such as MRI and ibuprofen, our innovations transform lives and tackle global problems such as sustainable food supplies, ending modern slavery, developing greener transport, and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
The university is a major employer and industry partner - locally and globally - and our graduates are the second most targeted by the UK's top employers, according to The Graduate Market in 2022 report by High Fliers Research.
We lead the Universities for Nottingham initiative, in partnership with Nottingham Trent University, a pioneering collaboration between the city’s two world-class institutions to improve levels of prosperity, opportunity, sustainability, health and wellbeing for residents in the city and region we are proud to call home.
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