Research Project - Cost of Building New Social Housing in Rural Areas

Tender description

The Northern Ireland Housing Executive (the NIHE) is a non-departmental public body established by the Housing Executive Act 1971, and is Northern Ireland’s single comprehensive regional housing authority. Further details are available on our website. The NIHE wishes to appoint a researcher to undertake a study to examine the relative costs of providing social and affordable housing in rural areas. Background As part of the Rural Affordable Housing Project - a joint initiative between the HCA and DEFRA aimed at supporting local authorities and their partners in their attempts to increase the delivery of rural affordable housing, Research was undertaken during 2009-10 in England on the cost of building in rural areas. The research was undertaken by Scott Wilson Consultants, Celandine Strategic Housing and the English Rural Housing Association. It analysed rural specific affordable housing costs and developed a rural specific viability toolkit. http://www.ruralaffordablehousing.org.uk/further-information/rural-viability-tool-kit.html Aims and Objectives of this project: The overall aim of the research project is to replicate the study undertaken in England for Northern Ireland, thereby providing an evidence base for determining to what extent the perception that the costs of building new social/affordable housing in rural areas is higher for locational reasons. This project has the following objectives: • To indentify if there are rural specific costs; if these costs are higher; and whether the costs affect viability; • To examine other challenges and issues which impact on the delivery of rural specific affordable housing (including those which do not relate directly to development costs); •To recommend ways to address the issue of viability and maximise affordable housing provision, bearing in mind good practice Full details of the requirement are available in the Statement of Requirement and Pricing Documentation available in the ITT.