The Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) is a UK charity and research organisation focused on reducing poverty and shaping policy to support a future free from poverty.12 Its stated mission is to “speed up and support the transition to a future free from poverty, in which people and planet can flourish,” and it does this through research, public policy analysis, funding, and partnerships with other organisations.2
JRF’s work covers several connected policy areas, including housing, social security, work, race and ethnicity, and poverty measurement.12 Housing is a major strand of its activity: recent JRF publications on its website examine rent controls, the capacity of social and affordable housing providers, and affordability pressures facing private renters.2 This makes the organisation highly relevant to affordable housing because it links housing policy to poverty reduction, rent affordability, and the supply of social and affordable homes.2
The foundation operates at a national UK level, with its research and advocacy aimed primarily at England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.12 It is based in York, England, reflecting the Rowntree philanthropic tradition associated with the city.1 JRF also maintains a leadership team and trustees, and describes its work as combining research with practical partnership to unlock the UK from poverty.2