The UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence (CaCHE) was launched in August 2017 as a consortium of a dozen universities across the UK and non-academic partners like the Chartered Institute of Housing and the Royal Town Planning Institute. Its mission is to infuse and embed international evidence into better housing policy and practice across the UK. CaCHE accomplishes its mission through a large multidisciplinary social sciences academic team working across seven broad themes, in close alignment with a major investment in knowledge exchange staff and infrastructure.
Core funding is from the ESRC, AHRC and Joseph Rowntree Foundation but further funds have been raised from the research councils, the charitable arms of the Tenant Deposit Scheme (and their Scottish counterpart), the Scottish Funding Council, the Scottish Poverty and Inequality Commission, the Centre for Ageing Better, Midland Heart housing association and the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations.
CACHE is collaborating with Aspect to present two webinars focused on case studies highlighting partnerships across business and industry, and the unique working model of the CACHE consortium.
Retrofit of pre-1919 Glasgow tenement – demo project: 6th August, 2pm
The first event is a case study of a recent and ongoing project which captures the possibilities of collaborative working with different stakeholders, including construction and architecture firms, as well as local government and housing associations. This project seeks to retrofit a traditional Glasgow tenement in order to achieve passivhaus-like standards of carbon emission reductions and enhanced affordable warmth. This has potentially major learning opportunities for Glasgow and beyond. The project is funded by the Scottish Funding Council and supported by in-kind contributions by the research partners. The webinar will describe the project and discuss its potential for wider business and social benefit (as well as the challenges created). Sign up for this session:
CaCHE approach to knowledge exchange: 12th August, 11am
This second session will both provide an overview of CaCHE’s knowledge exchange model and then apply it to a series of projects involving different dimensions of the business of private renting, a sector experiencing rapid growth and change over the last 20 years. This will indicate how we work with landlords and letting agents but also local and central government, parliamentarians, tenants and housing activists. Sign up for this session:
CaCHE carries out a wide range of projects – an initial dozen pilot studies and evidence reviews, followed by a second round of more than 20 projects based on priorities codesigned with our regional networks of practice and policy experts from across the local housing system (five knowledge exchange hubs across the UK). These projects have included work on the private rented sector both in Scotland and across the UK, a series of projects on house building, off-site methods, land for housing development, building design, papers on house prices, affordability, ongoing work on the lending industry and products for first time buyers, as well as many other studies.
In the last three months we have developed a large-scale cross theme series of linked mini projects on different aspects of COVID-19, the lockdown and recovery through the important lens of housing (a key aspect of lockdown, security and support).
Perhaps the distinctive feature of CaCHE is our approach to knowledge exchange and impact. We have five knowledge exchange associates, three of whom are full time, plus a full-time communications and engagement manager. They work with each individual project to set out an impact plan from the project’s outset (publications, blogs, social and traditional media, communications and events strategies). Each KE associate manages and runs a hub of 35-40 people meeting twice a year (plus subgroups on themes the hubs have themselves developed). Each hub consists of experts from all sectors of the housing system and is a combination of leaders and analysts, trade and representative bodies, the private sector, as well as key organisations including local and central government. The hubs cover London and the south of England, the North and Midlands of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Each has a chair and sub-committees focused on specific issues and links are made to maximise effectiveness across specific geographies. The CaCHE website is the home of all of our publications, blogs, news and other activities: https://housingevidence.ac.uk/
Image Credit: Glasgow Skyline by Pirkko Seitsenpesite via Pixabay
