Housing Needs Assessment 2006 - Westminster City Council

SECTION A: CONTEXT OF THE STUDYSECTION A: CONTEXT OF THE STUDYThis report is the result of a Housing Needs Assessment undertaken by Fordham Research on behalfof City of Westminster. It provides an overview of the housing situation in the City of Westminster,calculating an estimate of affordable housing requirements and also looking at housing demandacross all tenures and property sizes.Data collection and analysis for the assessment has been implemented in line with ODPM guidance,which was published in 2000 in an attempt to standardise Housing Needs Assessments. Theseassessments are a key piece of research for Local Authorities, informing the development ofAffordable Housing Policies.The report is divided into five sections. The first sets the scene in the City of Westminster,pinpointing key issues within the City’s housing sector, which are then addressed within thefollowing chapters. The second section provides a summary of data collection techniques andoutlines the range of information collected, explaining its importance for assessing housing need.The third section works through the three stages of the model, as outlined by ODPM guidance, inorder to assess whether there is a shortfall or surplus of affordable housing in the City ofWestminster. The fourth section considers the degree to which the housing market in the City ofWestminster is in balance and the fifth considers housing requirements of specific groups.PAGE 15