The Housing Service is at the forefront of providing strategic housing services that have a lasting impact on the communities that we seek to serve. The service works closely with its many partners to deliver the new Joint Housing Strategy for the District "Sustainable Homes and Neighbourhoods within a Successful District" as we face increasing challenges in achieving inclusive and sustainable housing.

The Joint Housing Strategy sets out our vision to provide housing within the context of a broader place-shaping agenda so that housing actions work well with the key elements that make great places, such as the local economy, transport and the environment, resulting in greater and more lasting impact. The challenge for the district is to achieve inclusive and sustainable housing and economic growth which reaches all members of the community.

"Bradford's neighbourhoods will have sufficient, high quality, sustainable homes within an economically prosperous, green, supportive and cohesive District".

The strategy sets out our key objectives

• More homes: To provide new housing, much of it affordable, to meet the needs of a growing population
• Quality: To improve the quality of our existing housing stock, both private and social. Improve the quality of our neighbourhoods and provide high quality services
• Inclusion: To ensure that vulnerable sections of our communities are helped to maintain a home and achieve independent living

To underpin the strategy, the Council's housing service undertakes research to ensure its policies are robust and based on the needs of the district and its communities. Recent research is available in the Research and Consultation Library and includes:

• Private Sector House Condition Survey 2007
• Bradford Housing Requirements Study 2007-08
• Bradford Housing Market Bulletin (Quarterly)
• Understanding and Tackling the Broader Issues of Repeat Homelessness in the Bradford District 2009