How affordable is affordable housing?

At the end of 2015, Flagship Group commissioned the Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research (CRESR) at Sheffield Hallam University to assess the affordability of its housing products. The research was commissioned as it became clear that several external changes were likely to affect the context in which Flagship operated as well as the affordable housing products. These include:

Welfare reform: since their election in May 2015, the Conservative Government has outlined a range of additional welfare reforms that are likely to affect the incomes of many Housing Association tenants. These include the extension of the overall benefit cap, freezes on various working-age benefits, and the continued rollout of Universal Credit.

Housing policy: the Housing and Planning Act (2016) outlined several changes to housing policy including the introduction of ‘pay to stay’ for social renters on higher incomes. The Act also provides funding for the extension of the Right to Buy to Housing Association tenants.

Also Read: Housing Need Demand Study