Massive study into local housing needs

Published by webmaster for Chesterfield Borough Council in Communities

Three north Derbyshire councils have joined forces with four from neighbouring Nottinghamshire to carry out a survey which will give them a detailed understanding of the local housing market in the area.

The group, known as the Northern Sub Region Housing Group, comprises Ashfield, Bassetlaw, Bolsover, Chesterfield, Mansfield, Newark and Sherwood and North East Derbyshire councils, supported by The Housing Corporation.

The seven have come together to carry out one of the first Housing Market Assessments (HMA) in the country.
The HMA study is more than a traditional housing needs study.  It will provide a much wider view of local people's experience, issues, circumstances and what they think they will need in the future.

The report will combine these views and circumstances with detailed statistics and will help guide local councils ensure the housing needs of everyone in the area are met now and in the future.

The HMA is a piece of work that the DCLG (Department for Communities and Local Government) has said all local housing authorities must carry out and the northern sub region is leading the way as one of the first areas to do such an important and large scale study.

The Councils received a grant from the Regional Housing Board of £50,000, which together with a contribution from each partner (of up to £7,143 each) will fund the study, which will help shape the future of housing across the whole area.

The group has commissioned Fordham Research, a company specialising in housing needs and market analysis, to undertake a housing market study in each authority area. 

Cllr Tony Rogers, Chesterfield Borough Council's Lead Member for Homes and Neighbourhoods, said: "The researchers will be contacting 6,000 residents across Chesterfield and asking them to complete a questionnaire.  These will be posted out in August and are part of the larger study of over 42,000 households across the Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire authorities. 

"We would like to encourage as many replies as possible. If you do not receive a questionnaire and feel you would like to comment or have something to say about housing needs - such as whether people can afford to buy their own home and views on the numbers and types of homes available - then please contact Dani Serlin at Fordham Research on Freephone 0800 163231.

"We particularly want to find out people's views on what range of house prices they feel are affordable."
        The report is due to be published in November this year.

ENDS

Press release issued July 24th 2004