The British public are positive about the contribution and value of social housing according to an Ipsos MORI poll for #HousingDay 2014. Over four in five of those not currently renting from a social landlord agree social housing is important because it helps people on lower incomes get access to housing which wouldn’t be affordable in the private rented sector. Over half of owner-occupiers and private renters support more social housing being built in their local area, and this is despite a gap in perceptions that sees the British public significantly over-estimate the size of the social renting sector across the country.

1. #HousingDay Survey 2014

2. 12%
84%
1
3
Would choose to rent
Would choose to buy
Neither of these
Don’t know
HA01. If you had a free choice, would you choose to rent your housing or would you choose to buy?
Housing preference
Base: All GB adults (1,997)
Source: Ipsos MORI

3. HA02. As you may know there are two main ways that a household can rent their home, private- rented, when it is being rented from a private landlord, and social rented from a local council or housing association. Which of the two ways of renting do you think would best provide…?
36%
69%
61%
45%
36%
25%
20%
19%
12%
19%
11%
14%
18%
35%
21%
16%
37%
36%
35%
10%
15%
24%
18%
42%
53%
33%
41%
11%
11%
10%
14%
11%
12%
10%
11%
10%
Social
No difference
Private
Don't know
Social renting vs. Private renting
Base: All GB adults (1,997)
Source: Ipsos MORI
…the most affordable housing?
…a place in which to bring up a child?
…the most suitable housing for vulnerable people?
…an area with a sense of community?
…privacy and peace from neighbours?
…prompt repairs when they are needed?
…the best choice of different types of housing?
…the best quality housing?
And, overall, which would you say is the best form of renting?

4. 8%
37%
36%
10%
9%
A great deal
A fair amount
Not very much
Nothing at all
Don't know
HA03. How much, if anything, would you say you know about the following? ‘The types of people living in social housing’
Self-reported knowledge of types of people living in social housing
Base: All GB adults not social renting (1,639)
Source: Ipsos MORI
A great deal/ fair amount
44%
Not very much/ nothing at all
46%

5. 5%
25%
40%
20%
9%
A great deal
A fair amount
Not very much
Nothing at all
Don't know
Self-reported knowledge of how social housing is allocated
Base: All GB adults not social renting (1,639)
Source: Ipsos MORI
HA03. How much, if anything, would you say you know about the following? ‘How social housing is allocated to people’
A great deal/ fair amount
30%
Not very much/ nothing at all
61%

6. 8%
5
37%
25%
36%
40%
10%
20%
9%
9%
A great deal
A fair amount
Not very much
Nothing at all
Don't know
Self-reported knowledge of social housing – summary
Base: All GB adults not social renting (1,639)
Source: Ipsos MORI
HA03. How much, if anything, would you say you know about the following?
How social housing is allocated to people
The types of people living in social housing
A great deal/ fair amount
44%
A great deal/ fair amount
30%

7. 41
46
Mean
39
HA04. Out of every 100 adults in…[COUNTRY], about how many would you say live in social housing, that is housing rented out by local councils or housing associations?
Perception vs. reality – proportion of social tenants in population
Base: All GB adults not social renting: England (1,353); Wales (81); Scotland (205) ‘Correct’ data has been sourced by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation from the Households Below Average Income (HBAI) and Family Resources Survey, 2012-13
Source: Ipsos MORI
16
19
Correct
15

8. Perception vs. reality – profile of social tenants in England
Base: All England adults not social renting (1,353) ‘Correct’ data has been sourced by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation from the Households Below Average Income (HBAI) and Family Resources Survey, 2012-13
Source: Ipsos MORI
HA05. Out of every 100 working age adults [statement 1] / adults [statements 2-4] who live in social housing in ENGLAND, (that is adults under the age of 65), about how many would you say…?
47
30
30
39
44
43
12
36
Mean
Correct
…are in some kind of work whether it is full-time or part-time?
…have some form of disability or long-term health condition?
… are aged 24 or under?
… are aged 55 or over?

9. 49
30
31
38
37
49
13
43
Mean
Correct
Perception vs. reality – profile of social tenants in Wales
Base: All Wales adults not social renting (81) ‘Correct’ data has been sourced by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation from the Households Below Average Income (HBAI) and Family Resources Survey, 2012-13
Source: Ipsos MORI
HA05. Out of every 100 working age adults [statement 1] / adults [statements 2-4] who live in social housing in WALES, (that is adults under the age of 65), about how many would you say…?
…are in some kind of work whether it is full-time or part-time?
…have some form of disability or long-term health condition?
… are aged 24 or under?
… are aged 55 or over?

10. 54
33
34
44
45
47
11
41
Mean
Correct
Perception vs. reality – profile of social tenants in Scotland
Base: All Scotland adults not social renting (205) ‘Correct’ data has been sourced by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation from the Households Below Average Income (HBAI) and Family Resources Survey, 2012-13
Source: Ipsos MORI
HA05. Out of every 100 working age adults [statement 1] / adults [statements 2-4] who live in social housing in SCOTLAND, (that is adults under the age of 65), about how many would you say…?
…are in some kind of work whether it is full-time or part-time?
…have some form of disability or long-term health condition?
… are aged 24 or under?
… are aged 55 or over?

11. 54%
44%
28%
80%
29%
31%
59%
9%
17%
25%
13%
11%
True
False
Don't know
True or false? – statements about social housing
Base: All GB adults not social renting (1,639)
Source: Ipsos MORI
HA06. Here are some statements about housing that is rented from local councils or housing associations, sometimes called social housing. For each one I would like you to tell me whether you think it is true or false or whether you don’t know?
As well as homes, local councils and housing associations provide other services which help tenants e.g. help finding work
Once someone becomes a tenant in social housing, they are a tenant for life
Social housing offers rents which are lower than rents in the private sector
There are more people living in social housing than there were five years ago

12. HA07a. Here are some things some people have said about housing that is rented from local councils or housing associations, sometimes called social housing. To what extent do you agree or disagree with…? ‘Social housing is important because it helps people on lower incomes get housing which wouldn’t be affordable in the private rented sector’
Attitudes to social housing – helping people on lower incomes
36%
46%
8%
5%
2
4
Strongly agree
Tend to agree
Neither agree nor disagree
Tend to disagree
Strongly disagree
Don’t know
Base: All GB adults not social renting (1,639)
Source: Ipsos MORI
Agree
82%
Disagree
6%

13. HA07b. Here are some things some people have said about housing that is rented from local councils or housing associations, sometimes called social housing. To what extent do you agree or disagree with…?
‘The negative view of the people that live in social housing is unfair’
Attitudes to social housing – negative perceptions of tenants
22%
39%
19%
11%
3
6%
Strongly agree
Tend to agree
Neither agree nor disagree
Tend to disagree
Strongly disagree
Don’t know
Base: All GB adults not social renting (1,639)
Source: Ipsos MORI
Agree
61%
Disagree
14%

14. HA07c. Here are some things some people have said about housing that is rented from local councils or housing associations, sometimes called social housing. To what extent do you agree or disagree with…?
‘Social housing plays an important role in tackling poverty in Britain’
Attitudes to social housing – tackling poverty
26%
41%
14%
10%
4
5%
Strongly agree
Tend to agree
Neither agree nor disagree
Tend to disagree
Strongly disagree
Don’t know
Base: All GB adults not social renting (1,639)
Source: Ipsos MORI
Agree
68%
Disagree
13%

15. HA07d. Here are some things some people have said about housing that is rented from local councils or housing associations, sometimes called social housing. To what extent do you agree or disagree with…?
‘The way social housing is allocated to people is generally unfair’
Attitudes to social housing – fairness of allocation
10%
21%
24%
14%
4
26%
Strongly agree
Tend to agree
Neither agree nor disagree
Tend to disagree
Strongly disagree
Don’t know
Base: All GB adults not social renting (1,639)
Source: Ipsos MORI
Agree
31%
Disagree
18%

16. HA07e. Here are some things some people have said about housing that is rented from local councils or housing associations, sometimes called social housing. To what extent do you agree or disagree with…?
‘I support more social housing being built in my local area’
Attitudes to social housing – building in local area
24%
31%
17%
15%
9%
3
Strongly agree
Tend to agree
Neither agree nor disagree
Tend to disagree
Strongly disagree
Don’t know
Base: All GB adults not social renting (1,639)
Source: Ipsos MORI
Agree
55%
Disagree
24%

17. HA07f. Here are some things some people have said about housing that is rented from local councils or housing associations, sometimes called social housing. To what extent do you agree or disagree with…?
‘Social housing discourages those who rent in this way from improving their personal situation’
Attitudes to social housing – impact on tenant aspirations
6%
26%
20%
28%
14%
6%
Strongly agree
Tend to agree
Neither agree nor disagree
Tend to disagree
Strongly disagree
Don’t know
Base: All GB adults not social renting (1,639)
Source: Ipsos MORI
Agree
31%
Disagree
42%

18. HA07g. Here are some things some people have said about housing that is rented from local councils or housing associations, sometimes called social housing. To what extent do you agree or disagree with…?
‘Social housing should be available to people who cannot afford the cost of renting privately, as well as to the most vulnerable’
Attitudes to social housing – wider availability
38%
42%
11%
5%
1
3
Strongly agree
Tend to agree
Neither agree nor disagree
Tend to disagree
Strongly disagree
Don’t know
Base: All GB adults not social renting (1,639)
Source: Ipsos MORI
Agree
80%
Disagree
6%

19. HA07. Here are some things some people have said about housing that is rented from local councils or housing associations, sometimes called social housing. To what extent do you agree or disagree with each?
82%
80%
68%
61%
55%
31%
31%
8%
11%
14%
19%
17%
24%
20%
6
6
13%
14%
24%
18%
42%
4
3
5
6
3
26%
6
Agree
Neither
Disagree
Don't know
Attitudes to social housing – summary
Base: All GB adults not social renting (1,639)
Source: Ipsos MORI
Social housing should be available to people who cannot afford the cost of renting privately, as well as to the most vulnerable
The way social housing is allocated to people is generally unfair
Social housing plays an important role in tackling poverty in Britain
Social housing discourages those who rent in this way from improving their personal situation
The negative view of the people that live in social housing is unfair
I support more social housing being built in my local area
Social housing is important because it helps people on lower incomes get housing which wouldn’t be affordable in the private rented sector

20. Ben Marshall ben.marshall@ipsos.com | 020 7347 3461 Chris Rigby chris.rigby@ipsos.com | 0161 826 9422