Although housing is consistently among the most important issues to voters in Ireland, there is little research on the impact that housing has in an Irish context. The evidence gap is especially large for social housing. In particular, there is a lack of sector-wide data that is comparable across tenures, organisations and geographies.
Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) are independent, not-for-profit organisations that are becoming increasingly important within the Irish housing sector. In 2022, they delivered 44% of all new social homes and 69% of all Cost Rental properties, and policy envisages a larger role for AHBs within the sector. Yet not enough is known about the profile of tenants that live in AHB housing and how acquiring a home impacts them. AHBs provide those in housing need with access to quality homes that enable them to participate fully in society. While we can measure the number of homes delivered, or households in secure, permanent accommodation, it is more difficult to measure the positive ripple effect a stable home has on society more broadly.
In recognition of these data gaps, three of the largest AHBs – Circle VHA, Clúid and Respond – commissioned Just Economics to develop a measurement framework to identify common outcomes across the AHB sector and a methodology for measuring those outcomes and determining social impact.
The intention is that this tool will be used by the wider AHB sector, contributing to the creation of a robust body of evidence that captures the real impact and benefits of social housing for tenants and communities. In the future such data will be invaluable in improving services and contributing to a more comprehensive understanding of the significance of a safe and affordable home to provide the stability necessary to participate in all significant aspects of life.
You can view the launch of the Measurement Framework event, which features contributions from our tenant, Paulina Tyminska, and CEO, John Hannigan via the YouTube link below.
To view the full reports you can view them here:
