Local authorities are periodically required to assess the condition of the private sector housing stock within their area. This is usually carried out every 5 years. Stock condition surveys collect information about owner occupied and privately rented properties and form a useful evidence base to
- determine priorities for action,
- inform investment strategies and
- monitor performance in relation to government targets.
The latest housing stock condition survey in Leeds was completed in November 2007 and the results were approved for release in 2008.
There are about 248,000 privately owned properties in Leeds. It is not realistic to survey them all and so information is collected from a sample of houses. For the 2007 survey 2,200 properties were drawn at random from across Leeds. This means the reported figures are estimates and should not be quoted as exact figures.
Information was collected about the age, size, type and tenure of homes. Their condition was assessed using two technical measurements: the housing health and safety rating system and the decent homes standard. Further details of what these terms mean are given in the report on this page. In addition, a socio-economic survey was undertaken to gain a better understanding of the occupiers in terms of health, income and household circumstances.
The survey in Leeds identified a number of key findings including
- a significant number of properties still have category 1 hazards (such as, likelihood of falls on stairs and fire hazards) and
- many have problems of poor thermal efficiency and inefficient heating systems.
The survey also confirmed the current inequality in the housing standards experienced by vulnerable households in the Black and Minority Ethnic community and the apparent significant investment required to meet the demand for adaptations in the home.
The report provides a considerable amount of data to inform the debate around directing resources and services to address these and other issues.
The full report is available to download from this page