Dr Tom Archer

Tom has 15 years’ experience in research and policy roles concerning housing and community development. He has worked on frontline housing issues within local authorities and housing associations, as well as advising central government on a range of community-related policies. In his previous role at World Habitat, Tom initiated and led the The European End Street Homelessness Campaign.

Tom's research is inter-disciplinary, focusing on the nexus between housing, the third sector and government policymaking. His doctoral research focused on models for collective ownership of housing in England and Canada, exploring some of the causal processes which affect the development of these initiatives.

More recently, Tom’s research has focused on the supply of housing – particularly for low income groups – as well as models of housing and support for older people. Tom is active in the study of community owned assets, co-authoring influential research on this in 2019 and contributing to government committees on the subject. Tom is the Principal Investigator on a number of related studies, notably an evaluation of Power to Change’s Homes in Community Hands funding - a multi-million pound investment programme aimed at scaling-up community-led housing in five areas in England.

Tom’s recent academic work has centred on the causal connections between collectivised forms of housing provision and their affordability. In addition, Tom has co-authored articles on the private housebuilding industry, revealing important trends in profit making and value extraction from within this sector.

Specialist areas of interest

• Community-led housing
• Housing demand/low demand
• Homelessness
• The UK housebuilding industry
• Community development
• Social mechanisms theory
• Social movement theory
• Case study research

PhD supervision

Tom would welcome discussion on supervising students around any of the following areas

• Community-led approaches to housing and regeneration
• Alternative forms of property ownership
• Collectivism and social movements
• Housebuilding and housing supply
• Financialisation
• Comparative housing studies

2023 Homes in Community Hands evaluation, Power to Change. Role: Principal Investigator.

2020 The Nationwide Foundation Evaluation and Learning Partner, The Nationwide Foundation. Role: Programme Lead.

2020 National Village Hall Survey, ACRE. Role: Principal Investigator.

Journal articles

Archer, T. (2020). The mechanics of housing collectivism: How forms and functions affect affordability. Housing Studies, 37 (3). http://doi.org/10.1080/02673037.2020.1803798

Bennett, E., Langmead, K., & Archer, T. (n.d.). Editorial: Special issue – Austere relations: The changing relationship between the Third Sector, the State and the Market in an era of austerity. People, Place and Policy Online, 9 (2), 100-102. http://doi.org/10.3351/ppp.0009.0002.0001

Archer, T., & Cole, I. (n.d.). Still not plannable? Housing supply and the changing structure of the housebuilding industry in the UK in 'austere' times. People, Place and Policy Online, 8 (2), 97-112. http://doi.org/10.3351/ppp.0008.0002.0002

Reports

Archer, T., Wilson, I., Parkes, S., Batty, E., & Harris, C. (2019). Our assets, our future: the economics, outcomes and sustainability of assets in community ownership. Power to Change. https://www.powertochange.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Assets-Report-DIGITAL-1.pdf

Archer, T., Crisp, R., Ferrari, E., Green, S., Mccarthy, L., Moore, T., ... Sacranie, H. (2019). Scaling up social lettings? Scope, impact and barriers. Joseph Rowntree Foundation. https://www.jrf.org.uk/report/scaling-social-lettings-scope-impact-and-barriers-0

Archer, T., Green, S., & Fisher, C. (2019). Helping Communities Build: A review of the Community Land Trust Funds and lessons for future support. CAF Venturesome. https://www.cafonline.org/docs/default-source/charity-finance-and-fundraising/2540aclt-report-090119.pdf?sfvrsn=bbd89540_4

Moore, T., Mullins, D., He, B., Thompson, M., Claassen, C., & Archer, T. (2018). The Urban CLT Project Evaluation. The National Community Land Trust Network. https://www4.shu.ac.uk/research/cresr/sites/shu.ac.uk/files/the-urban-clt-project-evaluation.pdf

Archer, T., Green, S., & Wilson, I. (2018). Effective housing for people on low incomes in the Welsh Valleys. Joseph Rowntree Foundation. https://www.jrf.org.uk/report/effective-housing-people-low-incomes-welsh-valleys

Archer, T., & Stevens, M. (2018). Housing, integration and segregation: A rapid literature review. Sheffield: Sheffield Hallam University. http://www4.shu.ac.uk/research/cresr/sites/shu.ac.uk/files/housing-integration-segregation-rapid-lit-review.pdf

Archer, T., Green, S., Leather, D., Mccarthy, L., Wilson, I., Robinson, D., & Tait, M. (2018). Older people's housing, care and support needs in Greater Cambridge 2017-2036. Sheffield: Sheffield Hallam University. http://www4.shu.ac.uk/research/cresr/sites/shu.ac.uk/files/older-peoples-housing-care-support-greater-cambridge.pdf

Archer, T., & Cole, I. (2016). Profits before Volume? Major housebuilders and the crisis of housing supply. Sheffield Hallam University. http://www4.shu.ac.uk/research/cresr/sites/shu.ac.uk/files/profits-before-volume-housebuilders-crisis-housing-supply.pdf

Theses / Dissertations

Archer, T. (2016). Collective realism: exploring the development and outcomes of urban housing collectives. (Doctoral thesis). Supervised by Robinson, D.