National Housing and Planning Advice Unit (NHPAU) in additional to its existing role, has taken on responsibility for working with local authorities and other organisations to promote a better understanding of how housing markets operate at the local and sub-regional level. Its extended role includes publishing advice on the additional housing that is needed to maintain or improve its affordability, advising on how housing requirements should be assessed at the sub-regional and local levels,advising on the consequences of different levels of provision and participating in the plan-making process at a strategic level as an independent expert body whose role is to help decision-takers understand the implications of the different options available to them and thus allow them to make better informed decisions. Conducting or commissioning research to fill gaps in the evidence base or build understanding of the market and key blockages where to do so would help the planning and delivery system for housing to operate more effectively and efficiently.