Dr Halima Sacranie is a housing and communities policy researcher and completed her PhD at the Centre for Urban and Regional Studies at the University of Birmingham in 2011, a regional centre of excellence for housing research. She went on to lead the Housing and Communities Research Group at the University of Birmingham from 2018 to 2023.
In her capacity as Director of Housing Research at the Centre for the New Midlands, Halima recently led the evaluation of the West Midlands Social Housing Quality Fund programme, a £15 million grant programme to tackle severe damp and mould in social housing in the West Midlands. This study was commissioned by the West Midlands Combined Authority and conducted between February to November 2024.
In January 2025 Halima embarked on an exciting new research project programme at the Centre for the New Midlands, working with the research group Social Life, to develop a Decent Neighbourhood Standard, with the first demonstrator project underway in partnership with community-led housing organisation Witton Lodge Community Association in North Birmingham.
Previously, at the University of Birmingham, Halima was the UK academic partner on CHARM (Circular Housing Asset Renovation & Management), a 4-year EU-funded project led by TU Delft in the Netherlands. The project aimed to develop asset management approaches that prevent the downcycling of materials in the renovation and construction of social rented dwellings. Her research centred on the impact on, and role of, tenants in implementing circular economy principles across partner organisations. Other previous projects based at Aston University include a 3-year study on Housing Quality, Neighbourhoods and Resident Wellbeing with VIVID Homes, and a 2-year collaboration with the Gambling Commission and Birmingham City Council examining harmful gambling and tenancy insecurity. Halima’s earlier work includes national and regional evaluations of the Empty Homes Community Grants Programme, alongside research projects funded by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, the Nationwide Foundation, and the ESRC.
With extensive experience in applied housing research, Halima has developed a strong understanding of the housing policy and built environment landscape across the West Midlands, and works closely with stakeholders across the housing, regeneration, and community sectors. As Director of Housing Research at the Centre for the New Midlands, Halima is building a new programme of research with the ambition of establishing the think tank as a new leading centre for housing policy research. Halima also currently holds roles as an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Birmingham, a Research Fellow at Aston University, and a Trustee of the charity Climate Outreach.
Publications and Reports:
- Sacranie, H et al (2024) Birmingham City Council Harmful Gambling and Tenancy Security Research Report and Intervention Framework Final Report, CPFW, Aston University
- Sacranie, H (2023) How do we deliver Affordable Housing Across the West Midlands, Roundtable Report, Centre for the New Midlands
- Mullins D and Sacranie H (2022) Housing, Chapter 52 in Alcock, Pete, et al., eds. The student’s companion to social policy 6th edition. John Wiley & Sons.
- Sacranie et al (2022) VIVID Wellbeing Study: The Impact of Housing Quality and Neighbourhoods on Customer Wellbeing Final Report, CPFW, Aston University
- Sacranie H and Cetin S (2022) Towards a Socially Inclusive Circular Economy: A Study of Tenant Engagement in European Social Housing Organisations, Chapter 4 in “Social and Cultural Aspects of the Circular Economy: Toward Solidarity and Inclusivity” Ed. Pal, V.,Routledge
- Archer, T etc al (2019) Scaling-up Social Lettings? Scope, Impact and barriers, Sheffield Hallam University
- Mullins et al (2017) Tenant Involvement in Governance Models and Practice Final Report
- Sacranie, H., (2016) Hybridity enacted in a large English housing association: A tale of strategy, culture and community investment. In Hybridising Housing Organisations (pp. 129-148). Routledge.