About the Centre

The Cambridge Centre for Housing and Planning Research is based within the Department of Land Economy, University of Cambridge. Since its inception in 1990, it has established an international reputation as a leading academic research institution in the fields of housing, planning and land use.

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European Mortgage Finance Seminar

On Thursday 1st October 2009, the Cambridge Centre for Housing and Planning Research hosted a small group of members of the ENHR Housing Finance Working Group and the European Mortgage Federation Statistics Group for a seminar on current trends and issues in housing finance. In total some 20 people attended.

The first session looked at current trends in housing and mortgage markets with papers from Alessandro Sciamerelli on how the European mortgage market is recovering and from Christine Whitehead and Kathleen Scanlon on evidence from the UK, Australia and New Zealand.

The second session, concentrated on mortgage arrears and possessions included four papers. Two clarified national pictures - in Ireland, (Tom O’Connor) and in Denmark (Fleming Dengso Nielsen). The other two were more research based and looked at the determinants of arrears and possessions (Gwilym Pryce) and how financial institutions are managing these problems (Janet Ford). The discussion reflected wide experience across Western Europe. Overall the seminar provided both a very useful update and a baseline for further analysis of how best to move forward.

We hope to continue discussion on these topics at the next meeting of the ENHR Housing Finance working Group at Istanbul in July 2010.

To download seminar presentations please click below:

Key 2008 Figures on Housing and Mortgage Markets in EU27 - Alesssandro Sciamerelli

Housing Policy and the Housing Market post the GFC: reflections on the UK, Australia and New Zealand - Christine Whitehead with Kathleen Scanlon

Recent Developments in Mortgage Arrears and Repossessions in Ireland - Tom O’Connor

Non-performing loans in Denmank - Fleming Dengso Nielsen

Analysis of Mortgage Arrears using the BHPS - Gwilym Pryce, Arnab Bhattacharjee and Hollie Cairns

Managing mortgage arrears and possessions: a new landscape and new issues? - Janet Ford

UK mortgage arrears and possessions: what’s happening and why? - Paul Samter

JRF Housing Market Taskforce - Mark Stephens

Welsh s106 guidance update published

The Welsh Assembly Government’s practice guidance on delivering affordable housing using section 106 agreements was published in July 2008, Since then, like the rest of the UK, Wales has suffered from an economic downturn which has affected housing delivery. The update, which was published in October 2009, highlights the importance of not being too pessimistic or to assume that a drop in house prices necessarily translates into a long term fall in housing output. Evidence from past recessions indicates that this is not the case. However, lessons learnt then suggest that a recovery in housing activity requires positive intervention by both central and local government, as well as flexibility and willingness to consider new ways of doing things, in the both the private and social housing sectors.

The update covers, first, an overview of what has been happening in the housing market and a look at what happened in previous recessions. Next, current initiatives undertaken by the Welsh Assembly Government are summarised. This is followed by a section on understanding the viability of new development and the way in which affordable housing and other planning obligations impact on viability. The final three sections outline emerging planning mechanisms for dealing with the effects of the downturn on new development, procedures that might be used to address the uncertainty of the housing market, and emerging options that local authorities might wish to consider.

Click here to download the guidance update

Evaluation of the Enhanced Housing Options Trailblazers

Cambridge Centre for Housing and Planning research has recently been commissioned by Communities and Local Government to evaluate the Enhanced Housing Options Trailblazers. This project, which will run over the next two years will evaluate the implementation, operation and success of the 42 Trailblazers programmes.

The Enhanced Housing Options Trailblazers are being run by CLG with support from the DWP. They aim to develop innovative approaches to delivering housing options/advice services, by offering housing advice to people with low and medium housing need as well as those with acute need, and also by linking housing advice to wider advice about a range of issues such as training and employment, financial management, and access to benefits. There is also a focus on making better use of existing social housing stock, and greater use of the private rented sector.

The evaluation is being lead by CCHPR, with involvement from Birmingham University (Centre for Urban and Regional Analysis) and Shared Intelligence.

Please click here for the Trailblazers Evaluation Homepage