Researchers at the Wales Institute of Social and Economic Research, Data and Methods (WISERD) have secured a competitive tender from the Welsh Government to review homelessness legislation in Wales.
This will be the most significant piece of homelessness research to be conducted in Wales and will directly inform the forthcoming Housing Bill to help improve homelessness law in Wales.
The Welsh Government have set out their commitment to this topic in their Ten Year Homelessness Plan for Wales, and this review will help meet these long term objectives by ensuring legislation on homelessness is suitable to the needs of people in Wales.
Led by Dr Peter Mackie, Lecturer in Housing at the Cardiff School of City and Regional Planning and chair of WISERD’s Housing Research Network, the study will include contributions from Heriot Watt University, Swansea University, WISERD researchers and independent housing consultant Tamsin Stirling.
Dr Mackie said: “Homelessness law is very significant in Wales because, unlike other parts of the world, the law is the key tool used by Government to ensure homeless people are supported.
“However, relatively little is known about the impacts of homelessness legislation in Wales and there has been no comprehensive exploration of possible improvements since it was first introduced.”
The review will build upon an initial study conducted in March 2011 that explored stakeholder perspectives on the deficiencies in the homelessness legislation in Wales. The researchers are keen to gather views from as many people as possible in this current review via stakeholder engagement events and stakeholder interviews planned for early 2012.
The research teamplan to report back with emerging findings in February 2012 and produce a full report in July 2012.
Please visit the Homelessness web page for more information on the research project.