The Centre for Personal Financial Wellbeing at Aston University has completed a two-year project with Birmingham City Council (BCC) exploring in depth the connections between harmful gambling and tenancy security – the first study of its kind in the UK.

It found evidence that problem gamblers are twice as likely (4 in 10 are likely to be rent arears) to be in significant rent arrears than other BCC tenants who gamble (at 2 in 10), but that harmful gambling is a hidden and stigmatised issue and one which tenants are unlikely to disclose to their landlord. 

80% of those experiencing the effects of harmful gambling say that they have had to borrow money to meet their basic living expenses in the last 2 years (compared to 50% of others who say they are occasional gamblers).  More than a third (37%) of problem gamblers said they had had to use payday loans or loan sharks to fund their living costs including rent. This creates significant increased risk this behaviour will directly contribute to them losing their homes.

This behaviour was shown not just to affect not just the gambler. A third of ‘affected others’ (31%) say that gambling behaviour in their household had directly led to them not being able to pay their rent. 

BCC had identified harmful gambling behaviours as a key and growing factor in tenancy loss. They wished to understand these further and enact any specific changes in their procedures and processes that may help reduce the risk of tenancy loss related to harmful gambling behaviours.

The aim of the project was to support the Council in the development of further strategies they, and other housing providers, can adopt to help reduce tenancy loss due to harmful gambling. It was also aiming to enhance their understanding of the impact of harmful gambling practices in the lives of their tenant population and those affected others who may inhabit one of their properties, with particular focus on the key financial decisions they make.

The end report’s recommendations include increasing the collaboration with local support agencies, establishing specific regional strategies to complement national work in this area, providing enhanced training for staff and also for tenants, integrating harmful gambling reporting more fully into housing management systems and creating clear support referral pathways. 

It also highlights the need for cross-sector collaboration and ongoing evaluation of interventions. By mapping interventions against the Council tenant journey, the report offers a framework for monitoring and improving harmful gambling support strategies.

Professor Andy Lymer, director of the Centre for Personal Financial Wellbeing at Aston University who undertook this work with BCC, said:

“The overarching aims of this project were about helping BCC to better understand the effects of harmful gambling experienced by their tenants and putting in place improvements to systems to support and help prevent tenancy loss as a result of harmful gambling. Consequently, the data and analysis in this report is very much focused on the experiences and views of the Authority’s tenants. 

“However, many of the internal recommendations would be equally applicable to other landlord councils or  social housing providers who might face similar organisational challenges, and also critically the same issues around hidden and stigmatised harmful gambling behaviours and barriers to tenants seeking support. 

“Beyond social housing providers, this project also illustrates how other agencies like support charities and community groups can work collaboratively with councils to address the complex challenge of managing the effects of harmful gambling which overlaps with areas of health, wellbeing and financial inclusion.” 

Dr Halima Sacranie, the Centre’s leading researcher on the project, said:

“It is critical to develop a relationship with a local support agency, like Aquarius in Birmingham’s case as their local provider, to work collaboratively around awareness, gambling training, and a clear referral pathway for support. 

“We propose a traffic light system to gauge risk levels and match interventions accordingly, such as awareness campaigns and support services. 

“We've outlined a framework for Birmingham City Council to enhance and evaluate these interventions, suggesting key performance indicators for monitoring progress. This includes a tailored strategy, mapping interventions onto the Council tenant journey to create a cohesive system of awareness and support."

This work is ongoing, and lessons learned are also now being rolled out to other councils and social housing providers. The University team welcomes approaches by anyone who would like to discuss this work further.