The Welsh Housing Research Network brings together researchers and research organisations in Wales in the field of housing. Researchers are exploring housing issues via a multitude of disciplines ranging from the social sciences and economics to architecture and health. Moreover, network members are drawn from academia, government, the voluntary sector and the private sector.
This network website serves three primary purposes; it provides information on individual network members; it provides information on research events organised by the network, and it also provides a unique library of research publications examining housing in Wales.
Our purpose
The aim of the Welsh Housing Research Network (HRN) is to bring together researchers and research organisations in Wales in the field of housing in order to advance housing research in Wales.
Achieving our purpose
In order to advance housing research in Wales, the network promotes the interaction of researchers from across disciplines and across sectors. Network members are drawn from academia, government, the voluntary sector and the private sector; specialising in fields as varied as Architecture, Design, Economics, Geography, Health, Housing and Homelessness Policy, Law, Planning, Psychology, and Sociology.
Network members meet twice a year to discuss ongoing and planned research and, as is the usual function of networks, members make use of their links between meetings to develop and undertake collaborative studies about housing in Wales.
The network webpage acts as a central point of reference for housing research about Wales, therefore ensuring that research is easily identifiable and available to those who might act on the findings. Furthermore, the network organises the biennial Welsh Housing Research Conference and a research seminar series is currently being developed in order to actively promote research findings.
Organisation of the network
The network is Chaired by Peter Mackie, Lecturer in Housing at Cardiff University, with administrative support from the Wales Institute for Social and Economic Research, Data and Methods (WISERD). Network membership is broad and inclusive and any researcher undertaking housing research in Wales is encouraged to contact the Chair regarding network membership.
Click here for The Welsh Housing Research Library
The Network meets at least twice a year to discuss our research and to develop research ideas. These meetings are open to all network members. Network members with a possible agenda item should notify the Chair of the network (Peter Mackie) in advance of the meeting date.
The HRN Conference for Wales
The Network organises housing research conferences and events for Wales. The conferences and events aim to bring together housing research which either focuses on Wales or offers lessons to Welsh policy makers and practitioners. Materials from previous conferences, including research abstracts and conference programmes, can be viewed below.
Wales Housing Research Conference January 2019
Co-hosted by the WISERD Wales Housing Research Network, the UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence, Shelter Cymru and Welsh Government.About the conference: Housing and homelessness are high on the political agenda in Wales and there is an appetite for good evidence to inform better policy. In a world where the broader concern is that policy is increasingly influenced by fake news and systematic misinformation, the Wales Housing Research Conference 2019 will showcase research and evaluations on contemporary Welsh housing issues, providing a platform for reflection and knowledge exchange.Plenary speakers included: Lisa Mckenzie, London School of Economics; Dr Ligia Teixeira, Centre for Homlessness Impact; Tamsin Stirling, Independent Consultant; Lindsay Cordery-Bruce, The Wallich; and Sarah Payne, University of Sheffield. Conference Programme and Abstracts are available here
Initial meeting of the UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence (CaCHE) in Wales – December 2017
The UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence (CaCHE) is a joint collaboration between ten universities and three non-higher education organisations. The Centre aims to produce evidence that will shape UK policy and tackle chronic housing problems. The Centre brings some of the UK’s leading experts together to focus on seven key areas. These include: the impact of housing on the economy; understanding housing markets; housing choice; housing poverty; neighbourhood design; the impact on housing as a result of multi-level governance; and homelessness. The Centre consists of five regional hubs in Glasgow, Sheffield, London/Reading, Cardiff and Belfast. The Cardiff HUB is based at the Wales Housing Research Network in WISERD.At this event the Centre’s Executive team launched the Welsh hub and discussed opportunities for engagement with the centre. This was also a first opportunity to begin to discuss key housing evidence needs in Wales. The event was attended by delegates with an interest in housing evidence and policy.
Information relating to previous events can be found below.
