Project Director: Ian Cole
Project Duration: 2016

As the level of housebuilding in UK has continued to fall short of the required numbers, this project explored the activities and financial performance of the UK’s biggest private housebuilding firms. Expanding on a 2014 study which looked at housebuilding in an age of austerity, this research was commissioned internally by Sheffield Hallam University. It identifies concentrations in the housebuilding market, the factors shaping housebuilder behaviour, and the focus of the biggest firms on maximising profit over the volume of houses built. The study argues for measures which facilitate development by non-profit bodies, such as local authorities, housing associations and community-led organisations.

The research was conducted by Tom Archer (a PhD student at CRESR) and Professor Ian Cole (Principal Research Fellow at CRESR).