Free Policy Publications

A Guide to engaging Muslim Communities (PDF: 1.18 MB)
This guide is about engaging Muslim communities – whether mainly social housing tenants (eg Bangladeshi communities in Tower Hamlets, Somali communities in Sheffield) or mainly living in older, owner-occupied neighbourhoods (eg Pakistani communities in Bradford). The emphasis is on engaging with poorer communities that are likely to be socially excluded and may be directly affected by housing or regeneration programmes.

Published June 2008

Save With Rent (PDF: 1063 kb)
The Save with Rent scheme devised by CIH provides a means by which landlords can encourage tenants to save through the Saving Gateway so that tenants can benefit from the government’s matched payments.

Published May 2008

Delivering Strategic Housing through Stock Rationalisation (PDF: 176 kb)
This briefing is the latest in a series supporting the ongoing development of the strategic housing role. It aims to support the LA and RSL partners in their work to develop and maintain sustainable communities and the part than stock rationalisation can have in contributing to that.
It offers an insight into the rationalisation debate and some practical ideas on how to take it forward in organisations.

Published April 2008

Modernising Housing Advice (PDF: 260 kb)
Housing advice has always played a key role in preventing homelessness but could housing advice offer more? CIH believes a more expanded role should be considered, a role that focuses on helping more individuals realise their long-term housing aspirations - whether in the private sector or in affordable housing.

Published March 2008

Leading the way: achieving resident-driven accountability and excellence (PDF: 319 kb)
Customer focus is set to increase in the provision and regulation of affordable housing. Leading the way: achieving resident-driven accountability and excellence builds on existing CIH publications on resident-led self-regulation and sets out a robust approach to effective resident empowerment that links in to regulation.

Published December 2007

Cinderella strikes back: strategic housing and the private rented sector (PDF: 180 kb)
Continuing the Visionary Leadership in Housing series, CIH brings you the next new briefing in the series. Exploring approaches to working with the private rented sector, often considered a Cinderella service, this briefing adds to the development of the big vision for local authorities’ strategic housing role.

Published November 2007

Skills for Success: developing proficiency in strategic housing (PDF: 514 kb)
Skills for Success: developing proficiency in strategic housing, provides a snap-shot of the capacity of local authorities to deliver their strategic housing role to actively support economic development and sustainable communities. It throws out some challenges to local authorities, government and others - and asks readers to feedback their views on about what else needs to be done.

Published November 2007

Whose house is it anyway? (PDF: 1.5 MB)
With housing associations poised to become as much agents of home ownership as of rented housing, this report looks at the implications for housing associations and purchasers, and highlights the need for a more in-depth understanding of the experience of low cost home owners before and during the purchase, and in the long term.

Published June 2007

Resident-led self-regulation: development and application (PDF: 213 kb)
Increasing the collective resident voice and responsiveness to it can benefit housing associations and their residents. One way to do this is to adopt resident-led self-regulation, where residents have real power in associations' approaches to managing their behaviour and performance. This briefing presents practical ideas about how associations can develop and apply resident-led self-regulation within the current regulatory framework. It considers what it might look like in practice, and the activities and procedures required to implement it.

Published June 2007

Embedding Value for Money in Housing Association Services (PDF: 517 kb)
Value for money (VFM) is about the optimum relationship between economy, efficiency and effectiveness - essentially this means getting the cost, inputs, outputs and outcomes right. Provision of VFM has always been important to housing associations, but the current policy context makes it even more crucial that they strive to achieve it. This briefing, prepared for CIH by HouseMark, sets out how housing associations can embed VFM in their culture in order to maintain a strong business and deliver an excellent service to customers. It highlights the role of organisation-wide VFM strategies and details the information and procedures necessary to devise and implement them. It also considers the roles played by governance, financial stewardship, performance management, procurement, and customer focus in an organisation with an embedded VFM culture.

Published May 2007

Resident-led self-regulation: potential and prospects (PDF: 217 kb)
Residents' role in the delivery and regulation of social housing will grow in the near future. This briefing explores how housing associations can prepare for this now, and examines a new way that they can improve their performance, efficiency, accountability and service development by changing the way they work with residents. It proposes that housing associations could give residents additional profile, roles and powers in the operation of their whole business by remodeling their existing frameworks for internal regulation. Resident involvement activities could be formally drawn into these frameworks and strengthened so residents are at the heart of self-regulation processes. It also identifies the changes that housing associations will have to make to move from existing resident involvement and self-regulation activities to a resident-led self-regulation approach.

Published April 2007

Ways and means: a guide for landlords (PDF: 222 kb)
An accessible, affordable, and good quality private rented sector is increasingly important in the drive to meet housing needs and maintain a healthy housing market. In working to achieve this, the way local authorities interact with the private rented sector is changing. The Housing Act 2004 introduced a range of new regulatory standards and powers, and local authorities increasingly use voluntary initiatives to support landlords alongside their enforcement work. CIH has already published a guide to help local authorities improve their work with the sector. Ways and means: a guide for landlords has been written specifically for private landlords to encourage them to understand and engage with their local councils, and to illustrate the best ways and means of doing so.

Published April 2007

The Rationalisation of Housing Association Stock (PDF: 295 kb)
With an increasing emphasis on place-making and sustainable communities this report examines the case for the rationalisation of housing association stock to support active neighbourhood engagement.

Based in large part on the work of two independent Commissions, the report looks at current patterns of stock ownership and management, the problems that can be caused by either multi-landlord estates and remotely managed housing and the barriers to a more rational approach.

It concludes that, where incoherent patterns of ownership or management result in higher costs and/or a poorer service there is a case for exploring rationalisation options. It further highlights the critical strategy role of local authorities in developing rationalisation strategies where this is appropriate.

This report is accompanied by a detailed toolkit that will support housing associations to put rationalisation theory into practice.

The Rationalisation of housing association stock toolkit is available from the Housing Corporation website.

Published April 2007

Community Engagement in Housing Market Renewal: A Good Practice Guide (PDF: 645 kb)
The Housing Market Renewal pathfinders have a massive task of reconfiguring housing markets in their areas. This inevitably involves some difficult decisions about the future of those areas and their communities. Active resident involvement at all stages in the process is crucial to ensuring the future long-term sustainability of the communities and neighbourhoods affected. This new CIH/TPAS good practice guide sets out standards and principles for engaging residents in plans about the future of their homes. It contains many practical examples and valuable check lists based on the experiences of practitioners and residents in the pathfinder areas and explores why seeking the engagement of communities in plans to demolish, re-furbish and build new homes is so important and so challenging.

Published March 2007

Delivering Housing Strategy through Local Area Agreements (PDF: 1.67 MB)
The local government white paper, Strong and Prosperous Communities, has reinforced the framework for developing and delivering locally agreed action. Local housing strategies should be incorporated into Sustainable Community Strategies, and Local Area Agreements (LAAs) are to be the primary vehicle to take forward identified priorities. But to date authorities have experienced difficulties in understanding the place of housing in that framework.

CIH, in partnership with IDeA and Volanti Consulting, have produced a briefing paper, Delivering Housing Strategy through Local Area Agreements, illustrating the ways housing has been incorporated into LAAs, and how real and perceived barriers are being overcome, to maximise the contribution of housing to the local authority's place-shaping role.

Published February 2007

Ways And Means (PDF: 400 kb)
Ways and Means considers the tools available to local authorities when they are working with the private rented sector, and discusses factors which can affect authorities' use of these tools. It contains research findings and practice guidance which will be of interest to local authority staff dealing with private sector practice and strategies, councillors and landlords. It also presents recommendations for ways in which government and supporting agencies could improve how councils work with the PRS.

Ways and Means is written by CIH and funded by DCLG and IDeA. It is available in traditional report format and as an interactive website.

Published December 2006

The future of regulation of the affordable housing sector in England (PDF: 88 kb)
This Briefing takes a ‘first-principles’ look at the regulatory system for housing associations - arguing that fundamental change is essential and setting out options for change.

It is produced by CIH, Tribal Consulting and Cranfield University and funded by the Housing Corporation

Published June 2006

The costs and benefits of groups, mergers and partnerships (PDF: 1.05 mb)
Recent years have seen a steep increase in the number of housing associations forming and joining group structures, merging with other associations, and working in non-constitutional partnerships.

This study has sought to identify both financial and operational costs and benefits of constitutional and non-constitutional partnerships. It has also analysed the many expectations on the outcomes of merger activity and their effects, including how tenants view moves to merge or form new groupings.

Published June 2006

A PSA target for mixed housing (PDF: 283 kb)
This briefing outlines the case for a PSA target to deliver a better mix of housing and how a PSA target for a better mix of housing might be framed.

Published May 2006

Homelessness Prevention and Housing Associations - Contributing to Efficiency (PDF: 115 kb)
This briefing, funded by the Housing Corporation, aims to encourage housing associations in their involvement in homelessness prevention by looking at how it contributes to the efficiency agenda, and how that may be measured.

Published April 2006

Integrating Quality and Efficiency (PDF: 115 kb)
This report produced in conjunction with HouseMark, recognises that the Government's efficiency agenda will become increasingly challenging and argues that linking efficiency and quality will be a key success factor. It looks at how housing association boards, residents and front-line staff can be actively involved in designing efficiency initiatives and monitoring their impact on service quality.

Published March 2006

Life After Debt - Residents, social landlords and financial inclusion (PDF: 288 kb)
This report covers recent developments in thinking and action to tackle financial exclusion and puts forward four areas that require further development for the goal of financial inclusion to be met.

Published February 2006

HomeSave - Increasing choices for tenants to own assets (PDF: 137 kb)
HomeSave is a policy proposal which offers new opportunities for tenants to own a stake in housing without the need to become a homeowner. It is also flexible enough to offer purchase under shared ownership for those who want to and who can afford it.

Published June 2005

Is Big Really Best - Or can small and friendly deliver? (PDF: 203 kb)
This briefing considers the available evidence about the links between efficiency and effectiveness and organisational size and structure, and asks what this means for the future of the housing sector as a whole.

Published June 2005

Investment Partnering - An evaluation of the pilot programme (Executive Summary) (PDF: 70 kb)
Based on surveys, extensive discussions with housing associations and other key players this is the first evaluation of the two-year pilot Investment Partnering programme, the Corporation's new approach to housing association investment. Full report available from CIH publications.

Published June 2005

ALMOs - A new future for council housing (PDF: 152 kb)
In many parts of the country arms length management organisations (ALMOs) have been set up to complete the decent homes programme. Many councils and tenants would prefer these bodies to be the long-term managers of housing. This paper sets out the options as to how this could be achieved.

Published May 2005

Housing Association Annual Efficiency Statements - Guidance Note (PDF: 264 kb)
This briefing sets out a process and framework for the production of Annual Efficiency Statements. It gives best practice guidance for the assessment of efficiency under the Corporation's regulatory code.

Published May 2005

Efficiency in Delivering the Housing Corporation's Investment Programme (140 kb)
This discussion paper looks at ways the Housing Corporation could use its new powers to pay grant to bodies other than housing associations, complementing and enhancing existing ADP funding approaches.

Published May 2005

Right First Time - How Housing Associations are Improving their Responsive Repairs (PDF: 235 kb)
This report examines how housing associations are changing their repairs services to respond to tenants' requirements and the government's efficiency agenda. The report argues that the pressure for efficiency will encourage all associations to consider a variety of options for improving their service. These range from the consolidation of group structures, through partnerships with other associations, to solutions based on contracting out the service to specialist providers.
Executive summary (PDF: 167 kb)
Full report available from CIH publications.

Published May 2005

Making Communities Sustainable - Getting the Housing Right (PDF: 57 kb)
CIH's ten point manifesto for housing in 2005.

Published March 2005

Investors in Communities - Lessons so far (PDF: 245 kb)
Investors in Communities is a recognition scheme for residents, housing associations and local authorities working together to build safe, stable and sustainable communities. This report evaluates the pilot phase and makes recommendations as to how the approach might be developed.

Published January 2005

Intelligent Approaches to Housing - Achieving better integration in planning for housing (PDF: 89 kb)
The report follows ODPM consultation on the proposed merger of Regional Housing Boards and Regional Planning Bodies. Drawing on case studies it makes recommendations on how to achieve better integration in planning at regional, sub-regional and local levels.

Published September 2004

Building Together (PDF: 273 kb)
Following a major study into the role of housing organisations in promoting community cohesion this paper summarises the main points arising from the research into the important role that housing management can contribute towards it.

Published March 2004

Offering Communities Real Choice - Lettings & community cohesion (PDF: 291 kb)
This CIH briefing paper focuses on social landlords' lettings policies, and their links with development and housing management in promoting community cohesion.

Published October 2003

Breaking Free (PDF: 289 kb)
Breaking free recognises the role that financial inclusion work, can play in helping to tackle rent arrears. It highlights a number of innovative approaches to financial inclusion work being developed by social landlords.

Published August 2003

Providing a Safe Haven - Housing asylum seekers and refugees (PDF: 523 kb)
This policy paper looks at the controversial issue of where asylum seekers should live, their access to local services, accommodation and related issues especially from the viewpoint of achieving greater community cohesion.

Published June 2003

Planning for Housing - The potential for sustainable communities (PDF: 751 kb)
This policy paper offers a critique of the Government's Sustainable Communities Plan as it relates to planning for housing. It proposes changes to planning and housing processes that would help to promote social cohesion alongside environmental protection and economic prosperity.
An Executive Summary (PDF: 768 kb) of this publication is also available.

Published June 2003

The Right to Buy - A Symposium for Debate (PDF: 128 kb)
This paper sets out the policy conclusions from CIH symposium on the reform of Right to Buy.

Published May 2003

Introducing the Community Gateway Model (PDF: 265 kb)
The process of stock transfer and proposals for ALMOs have been criticised for failing to engage tenants at an early stage. CIH has developed a new approach - the Community Gateway model. This leaflet is designed to explain the model in a non technical way to tenants, board members and councillors.

Published January 2003

Older Housing - The Cinderella Issue? (PDF: 222 kb)
Report of the Chartered Institute of Housing Private Sector Working Group. It challenges the view that it is inappropriate for social agencies not intervene in private sector housing and argues for greater intervention to prevent decline amongst the oldest stock.

Published June 2002

Breaking down the Barriers (PDF: 1.32 MB)
The title of this report reflects the importance of the issues it raises for the broader debate about tackling social exclusion. The study aims to discover whether there are barriers inhibiting access to social housing by South Asian households in Bradford and how they might be removed.

Published 2001