HACT joins forces with TSRC to release Community Investment potential

HACT has announced a new partnership with the Third Sector Research Centre (TSRC) at the University of Birmingham.

The partnership will support HACT’s developing work on community investment, localism and social impact, and enable the Centre’s research to further support the housing sector.

The partnership will be taken forward by Dr Patricia A. Jones, the Partnerships and Insight Manager, who will be employed by TSRC but seconded to HACT.

She will transfer TSRC’s research expertise into practical support for housing providers. This will provide a rigorous evidence base to underpin HACT’s work in neighbourhoods and communities.

It will also support action-learning programmes; events; and continued collaboration on sector-focused research.

Initial priorities for the partnership include the role of housing providers in promoting social enterprise; contributing to neighbourhood and community planning, maximising social impact; and tackling employability and financial inclusion.

“I’m delighted to be formalising this long-standing partnership, which will boost HACT’s capacity and research expertise, and enable us to develop whole new areas of programme research and development”, said Matt Leach, HACT’s chief executive.

“We are excited to be working with Professor David Mullins, Angus McCabe and Dr. Patricia A. Jones and their colleagues at TSRC. They are experts in the community role of social housing organisations, and their academic standing and research expertise will enable us to further understand and respond to the challenges housing providers face”.

Commenting on the partnership with HACT, Professor David Mullins said: “This helps us to put into practice thinking that TSRC has developed over several years on the community investment potential of housing providers and enable us to maximise our research impact. We have a long standing trust-based collaboration with HACT, and we look forward to deepening that relationship.”