The University is a lead partner in the UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence (CaCHE), a network of nine universities and four non-higher education organisations. Launched in April 2017, CaCHE is advancing knowledge of the housing system and providing robust evidence to inform housing policy and practice across the UK. It has received more than £6 million investment from the Economic and Social Research Council, Arts and Humanities Research Council and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

Key themes of investigation include:

• Housing and the economy
• Understanding housing markets: demand and need, supply and delivery
• Housing aspirations, choices and outcomes
• Housing, poverty, health, education and employment
• Housing and neighbourhood design, sustainability and placemaking
• Multi-level governance

Two professors from the University’s Department of Urban Studies and Planning hold senior roles within CaCHE – Craig Watkins is the National Director of Research and John Flint heads the Housing Choice, Aspirations and Outcomes theme. The University is a knowledge exchange hub for the North of England, and is also responsible for developing CaCHE’s doctoral training and building an early career researcher network.

Professor Watkins commented, “Rising house prices, a lack of affordable housing and the difficulties facing ‘generation rent’ require policymakers, developers and politicians to work together to implement sustainable solutions.”

Read more: www.sheffield.ac.uk/usp/research/housing