A new report by the TCPA for the Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE) has been published.
This report considers the barriers to councils building more high-quality, affordable housing, making ten recommendations for government reform.

One of the key findings of the report is that half of councils in England think that permitted development could be a potential threat to people’s health and wellbeing, with the most vulnerable people in society being disproportionately more at risk.

Housing for a fairer society

The role of councils in ensuring stronger communities

Executive Summary

Local authorities have a vital role to play in providing the affordable homes the nation so desperately needs. This report illustrates both the continuing housing crisis and the positive role local councils can play in providing more homes. But it is also clear that dealing with housing need is much more than just a numbers game. It’s about the creation of communities which enhance the health and wellbeing of individuals and creating opportunities for fulfilling and productive lives. Government policy in England has made this vital objective much more difficult to achieve.

The question of how housing contributes to creating a fairer society and stronger communities involves elements of both procedural and substantive justice. The scope of this research report is on the latter. The report sets out 10 recommendations aimed at increasing the delivery and retention of high-quality genuinely affordable housing and ensuring the multiple wider benefits of affordable housing delivery and development processes are realised.

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