Heriot-Watt University

Prof Sarah Johnsen and Dr Janice Blenkinsopp provide an overview of the main findings from the first interim report of the independent evaluation of Scotland’s Housing First Pathfinder programme. Operating in five areas encompassing six local authorities (Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire, Dunde

New research published by the Institute for Social Policy, Housing, Equalities Research (I-SPHERE) based at Heriot-Watt University has found that the planning process in England is reinforcing racial inequality, despite having clear potential to support the needs of ethnic minority residents. The st

A new study is being carried out into more environmentally friendly methods for laying housing foundations on peatland that could pave the way for increased economic development in parts of the Highlands and Islands, while mitigating disruption to the natural ecosystem and captured carbon dioxide.

A collaborative robotics and social care event has brought together innovators and end-users in a week-long burst of creativity around assistive technology, supported by the world’s first example of an open assisted living laboratory.

Proposals for the ‘ideal’ legal framework to address homelessness in Great Britain, with potential lessons for other countries seeking to pursue rights-based approaches in this field, have been set out in a new research article. Exploiting the ‘natural experiment’ conditions

With all of Holyrood’s political parties now supporting Housing First ahead of May’s election, Professor Sarah Johnsen, an expert in homelessness policy based with I-SPHERE at Heriot-Watt University, explains why the approach is attractive to politicians looking for an effective, evidenc

Ambitious new measures aimed at widening responsibility for homelessness prevention could stop people from losing their homes and make Scotland a world leader in ending homelessness, according to a new report from an independent group of experts.

The UK Government has pledged to support local authorities in England with additional funding to prevent vulnerable people becoming homeless, amid new figures that the number of children living in temporary accommodation has risen by more than 75% since the Conservatives came to power in 2

In a guest blog for the Edinburgh Poverty Commission, Professor Glen Bramley from the Institute for Social Policy, Housing, Equalities Research at Heriot-Watt University, writes that there is no pathway to ending poverty in Edinburgh without resolving the city’s housing and homelessness c

Claire Frew, policy & impact manager at Homeless Network Scotland, has been awarded the title of Honorary Research Fellow by Heriot Watt University’s Institute for Social Policy, Housing, Equalities Research (I-SPHERE). This recognises the role Ms Frew has played in supporting I-

The number of people sleeping rough in England during the COVID-19 health crisis could be three to four times higher than official UK Government figures, according to a professor of urban studies at Heriot-Watt University.

Mike Hargreaves and Kirsty Stott from Kingdom Housing Association are about to embark on a BSc in Construction and The Built Environment - due to their previous qualifications and experience. The Graduate Apprenticeship scheme at Heriot-Watt University offered Kingdom the ideal opportunity for emplo

An internationally renowned award has been presented to a research group whose work prompted a step-change in the UK Government’s approach to extreme disadvantage. 

A building brick made from 90% recycled construction and demolition waste has been launched by a spin-out company from Heriot-Watt University. The K-Briq produces just a tenth of the CO2 emissions of a traditional fired brick, uses less than a tenth of the energy in its manufacture and can be made i

Heriot-Watt University has been announced as a recipient of a prestigious Queen’s Anniversary Prize in recognition of the work of its Institute for Social Policy, Housing, Equalities Research (I-SPHERE), an institute that has brought new impetus to UK and international efforts to address extre