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A Housing Needs Survey (HNS) provides accurate information at a local level to support the requirements of the Council's Housing Strategy and Affordable Housing Programme, and to provide information to inform and support the councils Local Development Framework.
It identifies the annual need for affordable housing in the District over the next five years, taking into account the existing backlog of unmet need, and newly arising need, to include details of the accommodation required by type, size, tenure and affordability. It will help assess the housing needs and preferences of households with special needs, and for black and minority ethnic groups. This must include the number of households requiring physical adaptations or supported accommodation.
Between 1994 and 2004 we have carried out 3 housing needs surveys of the district. We also use our well-maintained and regularly updated Common Housing Register as an indicator of need. This has proven to be particularly useful when researching need at ward and parish levels.
The main findings of our survey completed in September 2004, are available by clicking on either of the following links:
Executive Summary (PDF, 63Kb)
Housing Needs Survey - 2004 (PDF, 647 Kb)
Our 2004 survey confirms that our greatest need is for affordable rented homes. The survey identifies that over 96% of households living with other members of their family, who are seeking accommodation of their own, are unable to afford to buy even the cheapest one-bedroom flat. The survey recommends that a total of 562 affordable rented properties are needed each year to meet this need, 231 more than existing supply from the re-letting of vacant council and housing association homes.
There is also an identified annual need across the district for 75 shared ownership homes.
The Babergh area already has a large stock of family sized dwellings. However, the number of smaller households living within the district is increasing, which means that more small dwellings in all tenures are required in order to help balance the local housing market and meet identified need.
An ageing population also means that accommodation suitable for older people must be encouraged, to include bungalows, private sheltered and all tenures of very sheltered housing
As mentioned above the last HNS was completed in 2004, therefore to ensure we have up to date information, and to coincide with the completion of our Strategic Housing Market Assessment, a new survey is being completed in 2008.
HNS 2008 specification (PDF, 46kb)
A copy of the completed HNS and accompanying Balancing Housing Market data will be posted here in mid November 2008
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