Martin has degrees in Law and (at Masters level) Urban Policy & Regeneration.
Housing and homelessness case studies
Martin Walker
16 Oct 2024
Introduction
Housing and homelessness case studies written by our team of experts in ‘Place‘.
Local Partnerships continues to be at the forefront of enabling councils and local authorities to meet their housing and homelessness challenges. We are proud to present five new case studies that highlight our work in optimising housing repairs, unlocking funding, and driving innovation in affordable housing delivery.
From Milton Keynes, where we helped optimise a £165m housing repairs and maintenance programme, to Manchester, where our data-driven models are helping to reduce homelessness, our strategic support has been instrumental. We’ve also worked on housing delivery vehicles (HDVs) to help councils build faster and more efficiently, unblocked stalled social housing sites in Wales, and secured £6M funding to jumpstart the UK’s largest housing regeneration project in Wirral.
Our expert-led, collaborative approach ensures immediate improvements and sets programmes up for long-term success, directly benefiting thousands of households across the UK.
Conclusion
Milton Keynes Council Optimises Housing Repairs with Strategic Review from Local Partnerships
Local Partnerships worked with Milton Keynes Council to optimise its £165m housing repairs and maintenance programme, benefiting over 11,000 households. Local Partnerships provided strategic support by developing a delivery plan, conducting an options appraisal for future operating models, and improving key processes such as void property management. Our efforts helped the Council reduce turnaround times, eliminate backlogs and position the programme for long-term success.
Manchester’s affordable housing options: Tackling homelessness and temporary accommodation
Manchester continues to grapple with significant challenges in providing affordable housing and reducing homelessness, despite notable progress in recent years. Local Partnerships has been working closely with Manchester City Council to address the city’s growing need for temporary accommodation and affordable housing. Through a combination of innovative solutions, including invest-to-save models, soft market testing with potential partners, and the development of a data-driven temporary accommodation model, Local Partnerships has helped the council make informed decisions and reduce costs. This collaborative approach is playing a key role in trying to alleviating homelessness and bridging the city’s affordable housing gap.
Reviewing Housing Delivery Vehicles: Supporting councils to build better, faster and more efficiently
Housing delivery vehicles (HDVs) are a key tool for local authorities to address housing challenges, with over 200 now in operation across the UK. Local Partnerships has supported councils by creating and updating the Housing Delivery Vehicle Toolkit, while also conducting independent reviews of many HDVs to assess their performance and effectiveness.
Transforming Wirral: Local Partnerships Unlocks £6M Funding to Jumpstart the UK’s Largest Housing Regeneration
In a rapidly evolving housing market, Wirral Council faced the challenge of meeting the Borough’s future housing needs while preserving its cherished green belt.
Unblocking stalled social housing sites in Wales through support on phosphates and nutrient neutrality
Local Partnerships supported the Welsh Government in a programme to address phosphate-related challenges that were stalling social housing developments across Wales. By working closely with Natural Resources Wales, Welsh Water, developers, and planning authorities, we tackled site specific issues that threatened to delay new housing projects. As a result, from an initial list of 68 sites, 902 homes, 799 affordable and 103 private, on 37 sites are now able to move forward, subject to standard planning processes. This effort plays a critical role in meeting housing needs while managing environmental impacts.
Small Sites Initiative in Rotherham
Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council, in partnership with Allert Building and Construction Ltd, has secured the first homes under the innovative Small Sites Initiative. The first project, will deliver seven energy-efficient homes, featuring air-source heat pumps to reduce tenants’ energy bills.
Small Sites Initiative
In early 2021, Local Partnerships launched an SME Pilot Initiative with Cornwall, Tendring and Thurrock councils to stimulate the small and medium enterprise (SME) house building sector in delivering high quality, affordable homes which the councils would purchase.
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The matrix considers a range of climate-related hazards, including heatwaves, flooding and extreme cold, and their potential implications for collection services, household waste and recycling centres, transfer stations, operational depots and key supply chain facilities. It provides a high-level checklist of both short- and longer-term adaptation and mitigation measures that authorities can consider to strengthen the resilience and continuity of their services.
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Regional Energy Strategic Plans (RESP), led by the National Energy System Operator (NESO), introduce a new regional layer of energy planning across England, Scotland and Wales. They will help shape where and when energy infrastructure investment takes place, with significant implications for local growth and decarbonisation ambitions.
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An accompanying executive summary provides a concise overview for senior leaders and elected members, explaining why RESP matters, the risks of limited engagement and the organisational arrangements needed to respond effectively.
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UPDATED – 21 September 2026 – Greenhouse Gas Accounting Tool
The Greenhouse Gas Accounting Tool has been developed by Local Partnerships in collaboration with the Local Government Association (LGA) to provide councils with a straightforward and consistent approach for calculating their carbon baseline and annual emissions reporting.
For assistance and feedback, please email ghgaccounting@localpartnerships.gov.uk
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