Although Housing Market and Needs Assessments have a valid life of 4 to 5 years, there are significant benefits associated with conducting mid-life 'desk' updates, to maintain the data and monitor change as required in the Good Practice Guidance.

DCA have prepared a spreadsheet model available to all Housing Market and Needs Assessment clients, facilitating annual internal review by the Council of aspects such as waiting list, homelessness, re-lets, new supply and planning consents.

We believe however that it is important to up-date the survey at the mid-point of it's life (i.e. after around two years) to be put into the context of:-

the changing housing market analysing current up to date house prices / rents and income levels to be able to calculate affordability thresholds;

the most recent population forecasts in view of the impact of demographic change on household formation and future demand;

the new Housing Market Assessment Model in the Draft Guidance.

Our update methodology brings the assessment up to the current date and gives the maximum useable life to the survey data using desk research processes. This very popular support service facility has been taken up by over 40 clients over the last few years.

Basingstoke & Deane Blackburn Braintree Chester-le-Street Easington East Hampshire Eastleigh Mole Valley North East Lincolnshire Stafford Swale Uttlesford Watford West Oxfordshire Winchester Wolverhampton	Adur Basildon Basingstoke & Deane Castle Point Charnwood Durham East Hertfordshire Guildford Hart Mid Suffolk Newark & Sherwood Sedgefield Southend-on-Sea Waverley Wigan	Congleton Elmbridge Epsom & Ewell Horsham Melton North Cornwall North Dorset North East Derbyshire North Hertfordshire Pendle Purbeck St Albans Surrey Heath Swale Woking

DCA are also able to update the findings of Needs Assessments conducted by other consultants, and have recently done so in:-

Basildon (2005)
Southend-on-Sea (2005)
Woking (2006)

The mid-life 'desk' update is a cost effective way to comprehensively update a Housing Needs Assessment, and can usually be produced within a six week period.

If you would like further information about any of the services we provide, we would be happy to assist you. Please click here to contact us for more information, or for an informal discussion about your requirements.