Portobello and Belle Vue Housing Impact Study
What is the impact of housing improvement schemes on neighbourhoods and the residents they house? To what extent do they alter the trajectory of neighbourhoods? What are the benefits of housing modernisation, particularly in the eyes of residents? And how do residents perceive their newly modernised properties?
These are some of the questions addressed by a study undertaken by a research team at Sheffield Hallam University's Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research (CRESR), which was funded by the housing association, Wakefield and District Housing (WDH).
Over a four year period, this project examined the impact of a housing improvement programme undertaken as part of the Decent Homes programme in two neighbourhoods in Wakefield: Portobello, a social housing estate where WDH owns most of the housing stock, and Belle Vue, a mixed tenure area. The study, which placed particular emphasis on exploring the 'lived' experiences of residents, did so drawing on a range of quantitative and qualitative research instruments. Some of these (in the context of policy evaluation) may be described as being 'alternative', such as photo novella, solicited resident diary keeping, and film-making.
This website provides access to written and audio-visual outputs stemming from the project, as they become available.
