The Local Homelessness Area Classification

Understanding housing and homelessness across England is a key social challenge. Research has been done to map and understand the most evidence informed interventions that can be used to tackle challenges facing housing and homelessness teams across the country. Little has been done to understand how different local authorities tackle the issues they face and how they could connect with others to share approaches and work together. Our project building on spatial analysis and homelessness expertise will provide a novel tool to help local authorities and support organisations to understand who faces similar challenges across England.

Our Local Area Homelessness Classification clusters all English Local Authorities into eight groups that exhibit similar housing, homelessness data and socio-economic data. We want to test if this methodology will aid Local Authorities to build better networks with similar authorities to support their teams to understand and develop solutions to housing and homelessness challenges.

On Tuesday 18 January 2022  researchers at NTU will be sharing the classification for the first time seeking expert comment from housing and homelessness teams from across the UK. This open event is planned to showcase the tool, learn from colleagues experiences and take forward a project to help create better insights for the sector.

Following the launch event the clusters, pen portraits and interactive map of England will be shared here for use by local authorities, individuals and organisations committed to supporting people in need across the country.

Dr James Hunter

Dr Eva Zemandl

Dr Ian Mahoney

Dr Richard Machin

Rich Pickford - Nottingham  Civic Exchange