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Cambridge Centre for Housing & Planning Research

 

The aim of the guide was to set out practice guidance on

  • how to make the most of SHMAs and SHLAAs to inform the process of preparing affordable housing policy. This will include aspects such as identifying priority needs and understanding the trade-offs between different needs; achieving consistency and follow through of assumptions between the assessments, policy formulation and delivery.
  • how to develop affordable housing policies that are relevant for local circumstances, including a review and critique of the different affordable housing policy approaches (and, we would suggest, those approaches that planning inspectors have found to be sound).
  • understanding affordable housing delivery mechanisms and viability, including the different sources of subsidy. This will include non-technical overviews and will highlight the key aspects of delivery, viability and subsidy that planners need to be aware of and understand when developing affordable housing policies, including wider contextual issues that need to be taken into account.
  • how key stakeholders should be engaged throughout the process of developing affordable housing policy. This will include cross-departmental working (housing, planning policy and development control) and consideration of the links between formulation of policy through to delivery and implementation.