The resources page is your central hub for information about community investment. Here you can find research reports, case studies and white papers to aid your work.
Developing a community investment strategy
This framework provides guidance for housing providers as they develop a community investment strategy that is tailored to the needs of their communities.
Measuring the social impact of community investment
This report provides a practical method to assess the social impact of community investment initiatives. Evolving from the groundbreaking work published by HACT and the London School of Economic’s Daniel Fujiwara in 2013, this handbook provides a model for measuring housing provider’s social impact.
The mental health premium
Mental health problems are the most common health issue among Citizens Advice clients, impacting 89,410 clients last year. Previous research found people with mental health problems are more likely to struggle with essential services, and support offered by providers is inadequate.
Making homeless young people count
This report centres on findings from Centrepoint’s analysis of data collected for the 2017/18 Youth Homelessness Databank. It updates findings from previous years, including Centrepoint’s estimate of the national scale of youth homelessness.
Taking financial wellbeing to the next level
This White Paper from Orbit Group and Fairbanking explains how Orbit Group is helping its customers take control of their finances.
What works? Evaluation of the DOSH financial capability programme
The evaluation of the DOSH programme is based on answering the following question: is digital support, therapeutic mentoring or a combination of these elements more effective in improving the financial capability of A2Dominion residents?
Adapting for ageing: Good practice and innovation in home adaptations
This report identifies the elements of high-quality and innovative practice in the provision of home adaptations for older people. It highlights practical examples of local areas that are organising and delivering adaptations effectively.
Making communities great again: James Howick
James works at Saltworkz, a community café in Haywards Heath, and has been involved with youth work there since 2015.
The impact of social housing on child development outcomes
This paper uses Millennium Cohort Study data to compare the cognitive, health, emotional, and behavioural development outcomes of children living in social housing compared with those living in private rented housing in England.
Developing skills and building careers: Hayat Ahmed
Hayat is a Clarion Housing resident originally from Somalia and a single mother to seven young children. In Somali culture it is typical for women not to work, and combined with a language barrier and lack of knowledge about how to enter the job market, Hayat had never worked in the UK.
The value of a social tenancy
In collaboration with Bates Wells Braithwaite, Hyde has calculated the monetary value of their social tenancies. The report also the added benefit to the economy and maintenance as well as cost to taxpayers. It explores the value of social tenancy against relying on family/friends and less stable conditions.
Rethinking customer insight: Moving beyond the numbers
In collaboration with Bates Wells Braithwaite, Hyde has calculated the monetary value of their social tenancies. The report also the added benefit to the economy and maintenance as well as cost to taxpayers. It explores the value of social tenancy against relying on family/friends and less stable conditions.
Love sport: an evaluation of Sanctury Group’s sport and physical activity programme
Using a combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods, this evaluation examines the outcomes for participants of Sanctuary Group’s Love Sport programme, as well as the social value generated. It also evaluates the delivery approaches taken by community partners to understand what worked well, and what was less successful.
In work but out of a home
Shelter’s analysis shows that in 2017 55% of families living in temporary accommodation were working. This represents over 33,000 families who were holding down a job despite having nowhere stable to live.
Health at home
Following on from Family Mosaic’s Health Begins at Home project, this report is based on Peabody’s follow-up research project that looked at how to deliver a cost-effective housing support services, improve people’s self-care, and work with other agencies to deliver a coordinated response to the needs of residents with health and support requirements.
Building communities that work: the role of HAs in supporting employment
The research shows housing associations invest £70m a year in employment and training support programme but only four in 10 housing association tenants are in full-time work
Effective housing for people on low incomes in the Welsh valleys
This report gives five policy and practice recommendations, the combination of which will go some way to avoiding a bleak future if current challenges are not addressed.
Evaluation of the Supported Rent Flexibility pilot
Author: Damon GibbonsPublished by Centre for Responsible Credit, June 2018The Supported Rent Flexibility project was devised by the Centre for Responsible Credit, Well Thought Ltd., and Optivo Housing Association and delivered from January 2017 to March 2018. A group...
Pembury Children’s Community: Impact Report
The 10 year Pembury Children’s Community programme in Hackney is now three years old. This report summarises its achievements and outlines plans for the future.
Housing and disabled people: Britain’s hidden crisis
The EHRC housing inquiry looked at the current provision of accessible and adaptable housing for disabled people provided by local authorities and registered landlords.
Positive Steps Thamesmead: The story so far
This is the evaluation report of Peabody’s Positive Steps Thamesmead (PST) programme that started operating in Thamesmead in April 2015.
Rural housing for an ageing population: Preserving independence
This report examines the housing and care needs facing older people in rural areas, and makes recommendations that central and local government and other partners should adopt the HAPPI principles when designing new homes for older people in rural areas.
Delivering healthy housing
This paper contributes to the conversation around health and housing following the Grenfell Tower tragedy. It outlines a series of effective policy actions needed to simplify, clarify and connect existing regulations related to housing and health and safety and how they should be enforced.
Happy Healthy Starts: Providing the tools to help families thrive
This report is the culmination of twelve months of research conducted by Orbit in partnership with the Child Poverty Action Group to find out more about the children and parents living in their homes.
Overcoming the stigma of social housing
Using census data and the latest English Housing Survey data, this report summarises the general composition of social housing, who lives in it, their social and economic backgrounds and examines the trend towards greater residualisation over time.
Better Housing, Better Health in London Lambeth
This indicative cost-benefit analysis shows that Lambeth’s Housing Standard (LHS) investment programme will have a major impact on the health and quality of life of council tenants, with wider monetised benefits of £227million for individuals, for the National Health Service, social care services, the Criminal Justice System and the local economy.
The role of home adaptations in improving later life
The review aims to provide evidence to make the case for the importance and effectiveness of adaptations, primarily to influence policy-makers at national and local levels, practitioners and local commissioners.
The future social housing provider
The purpose of the report is to explore the likely future trends in the operation, structure and customer demographic of a social housing provider in England.
Tenant involvement in governance: models and practices
This is a review of the current state of the art on tenant involvement in the governance of social housing in Northern Ireland and an evidence review of the wider range of governance models in operation in GB and Europe.
Five ways housing associations underpin inclusive growth
With the support of the National Housing Federation, RSA Inclusive Growth Commission identified five practical ways to make local economies across the UK more prosperous and inclusive. They explored what roles housing providers currently play and what they can do to support inclusive growth.
Community investment and the bottom line
Using a series of data analytical methods, this research paper sets out to establish whether community investment activities provide a return on investment and cost savings.
Better Days: Have a good day, every day.
This guide was produced for staff and partners working across Orbit to help them create the best possible communications and engagement with customers.
Contribute
If you have a case study or a research report to add to this library, or an idea for a future white paper, please get in touch with adam@ceci.org.uk
Our funders
The Centre for Excellence in Community Investment is supported by:
HACT
The Centre for Excellence in Community Investment is an initiative from HACT, UK housing’s ideas and innovation agency.
If you need help in developing a community investment strategy, measuring your social value or demonstrating the business case for community investment, please contact us.
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