Future Local Lab
Local Government ExplainedResource pack: Measuring social cohesion in housing – international learnings
Catch up on this webinar that introduced new LGIU research – supported by The Housing Agency – which draws on international examples to help Irish local authorities develop more robust approaches to measuring social cohesion.
Rewatch the session
3 key takeaways from the discussion
Social cohesion is widely recognised as essential for successful housing and integration policies, but measurement remains underdeveloped. Progress will likely come from agreeing on a common definition, focusing on outcomes rather than outputs, and embedding simple, sustainable indicators into existing local government processes.
1. Social cohesion needs a clear definition before it can be measured
A recurring theme was that many local authorities are trying to strengthen social cohesion, but few have a shared definition of what it actually means. Without a common understanding, it’s difficult to compare results, design interventions, or evaluate impact. The research highlighted examples such as Tower Hamlets, where a formal definition of social cohesion was embedded into planning documents and linked to specific indicators such as trust, belonging, and community participation.
Key lesson: Establishing a practical, shared definition of social cohesion is the first step toward meaningful measurement.
2. Most authorities measure activities and outputs, not outcomes
The research found that local authorities often track things like:
- Number of community events held
- Participation rates
- Training courses delivered
- People engaged through programmes
However, these metrics don’t reveal whether communities are actually becoming more cohesive. More meaningful indicators include:
- Trust between residents
- Sense of belonging
- Community relationships
- Tenancy stability
- Levels of antisocial behaviour
- Residents’ feelings of empowerment and influence
Key lesson: Measuring social cohesion requires moving beyond counting activities to assessing their real impact on relationships, trust, and community wellbeing.
3. The most practical approach is to build cohesion measures into existing systems
Rather than creating entirely new monitoring frameworks, the strongest examples used existing surveys, administrative data, and planning processes. The report called this a “pragmatic integration” approach—adding cohesion questions to surveys already being conducted, using existing census and service data, and embedding measurement within housing and planning decisions.
This approach is more realistic given the resource constraints faced by local authorities and makes long-term monitoring more sustainable.
Key lesson: The best way to measure social cohesion is often to integrate a small set of meaningful indicators into systems that already exist, rather than creating new standalone programmes.
Additional resources
Presentation:
LGIU research:
The Housing Agency:
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