Pat Niner

School of Social Policy
Honorary Senior Lecturer

Contact details

Telephone: +44(0)121 414 5024
Email: p.m.niner@bham.ac.uk

Address: School of Social Policy
Muirhead Tower
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT

Pat Niner is a housing researcher with a wide range of experience of different topics and research methods. Her recent specialisms are the accommodation needs of Gypsies and Travellers, and housing benefit reforms. She is continuing to work on ad hoc projects after formal retirement from the University of Birmingham in 2008.

Qualifications

BPhil in Town and Regional Planning, University of Glasgow (1968)
BA in Geography, University of Bristol (1966)

Biography

Pat Niner joined the Centre for Urban and Regional Studies (CURS), University of Birmingham in 1968 having previously worked as a Planning Assistant with Lancashire County Council.

Whilst at CURS she worked on a wide range of housing research projects for many sponsors including ESRC, Joseph Rowntree Foundation, the Housing Corporation, government departments, regional planning bodies, local authorities and housing associations. Topics researched included housing management, allocation policies and homelessness, stock transfers, housing benefit and caravan living. Since 2000, her main area of interest has been accommodation issues relating to Gypsies and Travellers, including assessment of accommodation need.

Her main teaching involvement was with research methods, and post-experience seminars and workshops for practitioners.

Pat retired from CURS in 2008 and has since been working on a number of specific ad hoc projects.

Research

Tenants survey, 2011 (Jephson Homes Housing Association)
Low income working households in the private rented sector (Department of Work and Pensions)
Assessing local housing authorities' progress in meeting the accommodation needs of Gypsy and Traveller communities in England (Equality and Human Rights Commission).
Preparation of a Gypsy and Traveller Financial Toolkit for RSLs (Housing Corporation).
Work on behalf of the South East England, South West and West Midlands Regional Assemblies in connection with reviews of the Regional Spatial Strategies on Gypsy and Traveller sites.
Accommodation needs of Gypsies and Travellers in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin and Powys (respective partner authorities).
Accommodation needs of Gypsies and Travellers in Birmingham, Coventry and Solihull (respective partner authorities).

Other activities

Board Member: Bromford Housing Group
Board Member: Castle Vale Community Housing Association

Publications

Walker, B and Niner, P (forthcoming), Welfare or work? Housing consumption among low income working households in the private rented sector, Housing Studies.

Niner, P and Brown, P (2011), The evidence base for Gypsy and Traveller site planning: a story of complexity and tension, Evidence and Policy 7(3): 327-345.

Brown, P, Henning, S and Niner, P (2010) Assessing Local Authorities' Progress in Meeting the Accommodation Needs of Gypsy and Traveller Communities in England and Wales: 2010 update, Research Report 68, London: Equality and Human Rights Commission.

Walker, B and Niner, P (2010), Low Income Working Households in the Private Rented Sector, R698, London: Department of Work and Pensions.

Brown, P and Niner, P (2009), Assessing Local Housing Authorities' Progress in Meeting the Accommodation Needs of Gypsy and Traveller Communities in England, Research Report 13, London: Equality and Human Rights Commission.

Niner, P and Brown, P (2009), First steps towards regional planning for Gypsy and Traveller sites in England: Evidence-based planning in action, Town Planning Review 80/6, pp 627-646.

Niner, P (2008), Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Assessments: Perceptions of Progress, Birmingham: CURS.

Niner, P and Walker, B (2008), Gypsies and Travellers: Financial Toolkit for RSLs, London: The Housing Corporation.