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The manual
In 6 steps towards adequate living!
The overlapping goal of RUIMTELAB is to create an inclusive housing market in which every Dutch resident has adequate housing. In order to contribute to this goal, we present a manual for you, the policy makers of municipalities, to improve transition on the housing market. This manual exists of 6 steps, which will be further elucidated step by step below.
In order to get insights in the wishes and needs of resident from your municipality, it is suggested to look beyond the standard categorising of residents by means of ‘starters’ ‘residents in transition’ and ‘seniors’. Since every municipality has their own unique characteristics and consequently their own unique residents. In the first step, specific resident information has to be gathered utilising a survey method, to get a good image from your residents. Designing the survey format, resident information has to be gathered of the following four aspects:
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Household charactaristics
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Lifestyles
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Housing situation
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Housing preferences
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1.1 Household characteristics
In order to separate different types of residents, it is important to gather information of specific demographic characteristics such as age, household composition and the social-economic situation.
1.2 Lifestyle
In order to understand and assess resident behaviour, it is important to gather information about the different lifestyles of residents. There are multiple methods to gather information about lifestyles. For example, the DISC model or the Mentality Model by Motivaction. It is up to your choice which lifestyle method you use. As long as the method encompasses the following two dimensions:
(1) The sociological: how does one resident relate towards another: an individual focus versus a group focus.
(2) The psychological: to what extent does a resident open up towards another: introvert versus extrovert.
1.3 Housing situation
Questions about the current housing situation of a resident will tell you more about the:
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Charactaristics of a residence
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Satisfaction rate of a residence
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Charactaristics of a neighbourhood
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Satisfaction rate of a neighbourhood
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Intention to move
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1.4 Housing preferences
Conclusively, it is important to gather information about the prefered residential locational preferences. These questions encompass questions about preferences of the ideal type of housing and living environment such as the prefered type of: neighbourhood, different housing concepts, residences, forms of ownership and services offered in the neighbourhood.
Step 1. Collect resident information
Step 2. Create housing profiles
On the base of obtained data in step 1, you can draw specific housing profiles for the residents of your municipality. Utilising a cluster analysis, you can draw housing profiles which are based on similarities between household characteristics, lifestyles, housing situation and household preferences. This way you can create a specific categorization of your residents and their complementing residential characteristics and preferences.
In step 3, the drawn housing profiles will be matched with a general set tools that are used for transition on the housing market. By means of so-called "co-creation sessions" you can collectively determine and implement suitable tools together with stakeholders such as housing market experts and residents.
3.1 What is a co-creation session?
A co-creation session can be characterized by “developing and improving policy and services on an equal level together with citizens and professionals” (De Koning & Van den Broek, 2011). This means that citizens and housing market experts co-decide in choosing the right tools for transition on the housing market and in addition co-produce certain tools. Citizens are seen as an important partner in this process, because they are experts in their own needs and wishes.
3.2 How do you compose a co-creation session?
Of great importance in a co-creation session is the equivalent level of developing and improving policy and services. Together with the collaboration with other actors, it is important that the input of policymakers, housing market experts and residents are treated equally
The sessions can be organised with the help of an online or offline facilitator to ensure equal input. Invite the residents per housing profile. For example, you can implement instruments that are suitable for this group to promote flow per housing profile. Finally, we recommend holding the online sessions in groups of a maximum of 10 participants to hand everyone the opportunity to participate.
Step 3. Shape instruments together with residents
Step 4. Create a toolbox per housing profile
The interpretation of instruments discussed in step 3 will be set per residential profile during step 4. In the co-creation sessions of step 3, specific instruments were drawn and designed for each residential profile. To create a clear overview, a so-called toolbox, you can arrange the specific tools for the residents of your municipality per residential profile.
Step 5. Visualize the spatial distribution
In step 5 you visualize the spatial distribution of the created living profiles (step 2) including the associated tools (steps 3 and 4).
During the cluster analysis in step 2, a housing profile was assigned to each respondent. Because the location characteristics of the respondent are also recorded in step 1, you can link the residential profiles to a geographical location in your municipality. This allows you to locate and map the housing profiles.
Step 6. Pick Instruments
Conclusively, it is up to you to make a well-considered choice as to which instruments should be used for which housing profile and at which location. The visualization of the spatial distribution of the residential profiles, created in step 5, presents the appropriate instruments per residential profile per location. It is up to you to decide which tool to use. We do recommend performing a cost / benefit analysis.
