Strategic Housing Market Assessment

The study analyses the operation of Bedfordshire’s housing markets and forecasts the area’s housing requirements. It provides evidence on the tenure and size mix of housing required across the whole housing market (including market housing, intermediate housing and social rented housing). 

Together Bedford, Central Bedfordshire and Luton councils commissioned consultants Opinion Research Services and Savills to carry out the research.

Government expects all local authorities to have completed a Strategic Housing Market Assessment, and has published practice guidance to help authorities produce assessments that are robust and credible (See Practice Guidance, Department for Communities and Local Government 2007).

The evidence produced by the study will be used to inform policy making at local and regional level.

The Report of Study Findings and Executive Summary can be downloaded below. In addition eight Research Papers provide further detail about each stage of the study, and these are also available for download below. The eight research papers cover the following areas:

1. Clarifying the boundaries of the housing market areas
2. Profiling the existing housing markets and historical trends
3. Identifying and understanding key housing market drivers
4. Future housing need and demand
5. Understanding and profiling the future housing market
6. Housing requirements of specific client groups
7. Viability assessment
8. Policy implications