Research England funding secured for housing research

Steve Iafrati has secured a £20k grant for participatory research funded by Research England. The research will examine the impacts of ‘out of area’ housing whereby vulnerable households to whom local authorities have a statutory duty to accommodate are placed in other local authority areas. Usually done to save money, this is particularly a practice of local authorities in London and households are housed all over the country. The problem is that placing households out of area can fracture connections people have with families, communities and essential service providers. Furthermore, it can exacerbate vulnerabilities and lead to long term personal and social costs. The aim of the research is to recognise how such households can be identified early and support put in place. The research is to be carried out in partnership with Nick Clare from the University’s Geography department as well as Pathway Housing Solutions and Nottingham City Council.