Topic Group: Social

Leader: John Stevens, Senior Policy Analyst, Clarion Housing Group, UK

Aims:

The aim of the Social Topic Group is to work together to help transform lives and communities for the better.  We focus on collaboration and projects that foster the social purpose of housing providers, access funding, and bring together different stakeholders to address common issues.    

Sub Themes:

• Understand and promote the value of affordable housing to wider society 
• Evidence the social impacts of work undertaken by members and how this contributes to resident wellbeing   
• Collaborate on research in areas including ageing, place-making, affordability, inequality and social integration  
• Identify where a common understanding of issues across Europe could lead to improved social outcomes

Activities/Projects:

• European Social Index – Statistics collected at a European level offer snapshots, including household composition and market trends, but these tell us very little about the experiences, concerns and aspirations of people living in social housing. Based on Clarion Housing’s annual resident survey, the Social Index aims to build this picture and to offer evidence for Europe-wide funded projects that address the issues uncovered by the research.
• The value of social housing in cities – The COVID19 crisis has highlighted the vital role of keyworkers to society, but many households on lower incomes have been priced out of major cities in recent years. This project looks at the role that social housing plays in the overall economy of a European city and the social and economic value that this generates.  We aim to make the case for continued Government investment in affordable housing in cities and will explore the potential for different forms of tenure across Europe.