Jonathan Webb is a Principal Research Fellow at the Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research (CRESR) at Sheffield Hallam University. He co-leads CRESR's Housing and Place research theme and specialises in housing, homelessness, and housing policy.

His research focuses on the relationship between housing markets, housing welfare, and governance, with particular interests in English devolution, housing policy, and the role of place in shaping social and economic outcomes. He also has a longstanding interest in policymaking, knowledge mobilisation, and the use of evidence in public policy.

Alongside his academic research, Jonathan has extensive experience in applied policy research and evaluation. He currently leads a number of projects commissioned by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), including evaluations of housing and place-based programmes. His expertise includes theory-based evaluation, quasi-experimental methods, and the design and delivery of impact and process evaluations in line with UK Government guidance.

Before joining CRESR, Jonathan was a Research Director at the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen), where he specialised in deliberative and participatory research methods. Prior to this, he worked at the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) and IPPR North, leading research on housing and contributing to major policy reports on regional governance, economic development, housing quality, and the transition to net zero.

His work aims to contribute to both academic understanding and practical policy development, bridging research, evaluation, and public decision-making. Jonathan’s opinion and research has been featured in both broadcast and print media over the years. This includes appearances on BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme, BBC News, Sky News, Channel 4 News and Channel 5 News. His opinion and research have been quoted in the Guardian, thei, The Sunday Times, Press Association and EFE (Spanish international news agency).

Research interests

• Housing and homelessness
• Housing markets
• Political economy of housing
• Spatial inequalities
• Comparative politics and public policy 
• Territorial governance and devolution
• Policy research and evaluation
• Deliberative research methods