Ruth DavisonDirector of Policy and External AffairsNational Housing Federation

The value of housing to the national economyIs our evidence scant and flawed? Or have we failed to 'sell' the value of housing?

A long history of undersupply

Economic impact of building100,000 affordable homes (Source: CEBR, Forthcoming 2014)

Wider social benefits(Source: Frontier Economics, Forthcoming 2014)

The value of supported housing(Source: Frontier Economics, 2010)

Group Net benefit (per person per year)

Older people £444

People with learning disabilities £6,764

People with mental health issues £4,671

People with physical or sensory disabilities £1,368

Single homeless people with support needs £1,655

Teenage parents -£2,107Young people at risk -£1,618

Value to wellbeing(Source: Fujiwara, D. 2013)

Do people consider evidence when forming opinions about policies?

46

9

18

26

Statistics are more important than my own experiences or those of my family and friends in helping me keep track of how the government is doing

My own experiences or those of my family and friends are more important than statistics in helping me keep track of how the government is doing

Both equally

Neither/Don’t know

People have different attitudes towards statistics. Which of the following do you agree with most?

Base: 1,034 British adults aged 16-75 Source: RSS/Ipsos MORI 2013

Key challenge: What is the nature of the housing problem?

This affects funding decisions

0 – No additionality in the long run? (Meen, 1995)

0.5 – DCLG’s modelling assumptions

0.8 – Only in the short term?

1 – Small housing associations

Key challenge: Evidence and Knowledge Exchange

•Health & Wellbeing: Are we collecting the right evidence?

•Capturing our Social Return on Investment: We will never find the perfect methodology.

Contact

Ruth DavisonNational Housing Federation

Ruth.Davison@housing.org.uk