Current Projects
This page gives a brief overview on a few of the externally funded projects that the Housing LIN is involved in. They include pioneering research projects with universities and the development of new tools and resources to inform policy and practice.
UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) demand modelling tool for housing suited to an ageing population
As cited in the recent Older People’s Housing Taskforce report, the Housing LIN, through a partnership with UKRI, is developing a new, comprehensive demand modelling tool for housing suited to an ageing population. This two-stage project will ultimately provide an assessment of demand for the full range of housing options including mainstream housing better suited to the needs of older persons, demand for adapted homes in later life, as well as demand for specialised types of housing.
With nearly 5,600 participants, Stage One has been completed with the largest ever use of primary research conducted on older people’s housing preferences in the UK commissioned from Ipsos, rather than relying solely on the use of secondary data. An accompanying report was published in December 2024 and is available here.
Drawing on the primary research findings, Stage Two of the project is now underway to develop a new modelling tool to provide local authorities and their partners in the UK with robust and reliable evidence of demand which they can use in relation to housing and social care commissioning and delivery plans as well as their Local Plans.
Intersectional Stigma of Place-based Ageing (ISPA)
The Housing LIN is excited to be a partner in this 5 year research exploring the impact of stigma on fuelling inequalities experienced by UK disabled adults in later life. Led by University of Stirling, the study ‘Intersectional Stigma of Place-based Ageing (ISPA)’, will investigate and identify how stigma related to age, disability, and where someone lives, creates additional barriers for older people living with sensory and mobility impairments.
Supported by a £2m Economic and Social Research Council grant, the five-year ISPA project will result in researchers working in collaboration with disabled adults to use their findings to develop guidance on the actions and modifications required in people’s homes and environments to allow this group to age well in their communities. Other ISPA project partners are: Horizon Housing Association, Stonewater Housing Association , Link Housing Group, Artlink Central, Springfield Properties plc, The Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre (Scotland ), Foundations, Public Health Scotland and Motionspot.
The Housing LIN will also play a key role in a newly formed ‘Inclusive Living Alliance’ – a UK wide network made up of organisations from housing, health, social care and the third sector – to road test this guidance and focus on long-term policy change.
DELONELINESS project: DEsign for healthy aging: a smart system to decrease LONELINESS for elderly people (opens new window)
The Housing LIN is delighted to be an industry partner in a new research project on loneliness in ageing population tackled through smart clothing and furniture.
The 3 year EPSRC/NIHR funded DELONELNESS project, a collaboration between King’s College London and the University of Chester, aims to design a smart monitoring and communication system with multifunctional electronics built into textiles used as wearables and home furniture to measure loneliness in older people. It will help understand the conditions of being lonely and develop a smart system to measure and monitor loneliness. We look forward to supporting the academic team recruit housing partners and also share the learnings from the resultant research.
IMPACT (Improving Adult Care Together) (opens new window)
The Housing LIN will be partnering with the University of Birmingham, as part of a broader consortium of key stakeholders from across the four nations of the UK, to develop a brand new Centre for adult social care, IMPACT (Improving Adult Care Together) which will aim to put evidence into practice to promote and maintain people’s independence and wellbeing.
IMPACT (Improving Adult Care Together) has received 6 years funding from the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), part of UK Research and Innovation, and the Health Foundation, and will be the first Centre of its kind in the UK. The Housing LIN will be part of the IMPACT consortium, working with a wide range of academic, policy and practice partners, carers and people with lived experience of using social care services to help develop and lead a programme of innovation and improvement.
Amar bari, amar jibon: My home, my life – developing living environments of Bangladeshi elders (opens new window)
This is a pioneering 36-month long research project, funded by The Dunhill Medical Trust, that will explore diversity and inclusion in later life living environments and communities amongst Bangladeshi elders in East London.
Involving both local Bangladeshi communities and practitioners, the team led by The Open University and Bangla Housing Association, will together set out to hear their voice, communicate cultural preferences, and empower the community to have a greater say in local housing plans and strategies. The Housing LIN is pleased to support knowledge exchange and host the project’s microsite.
ALSO IN THE PIPELINE
The Housing LIN Consultancy (opens new window) team are also involved in a range projects with national, trade and professional bodies, local authorities, housing associations, charities and commercial partners. Where the funder grants permission, we will put our reports into the public domain so we can share the findings from our sector learning and improvement activities.
To view all the latest Housing LIN case studies, reports, blogs and viewpoints, best to visit our News webpage. And, if you would like further information any of the above or would like to discuss other projects that you think will be of interest to the Housing LIN, email us at info@housinglin.org.uk
In the meantime, register to receive our weekly bulletin HLINks (opens new window) to keep up to date with latest sector news, relevant new resources and information about our upcoming HAPPI Hour events .