EUKN - European Urban Knowledge Network - Case study on housing

Case study on housing - Sefton, United Kingdom

Introduction

The International Workers Steering Group (IWSG) is a multi-agency mechanism to address crosscutting issues with partners from both public and voluntary organisations. The Strategic Housing Forum is one in a structure of six thematic subgroups. The role of the Strategic Housing Forum is to develop a housing strategy for the borough while taking into account the needs and characteristics of migrant workers with regards to housing. With a considerable proportion of Sefton’s population facing issues similar to those faced by migrant workers, a mainstream approach is been taken to create equal opportunities for all. To succeed in addressing the challenges in the housing market will require for all players to work in cooperation.

Description

Due to legal restrictions on access to public housing, recent migrant workers from EU accession states initially cannot access social housing. As a result, new migrants in Sefton rely almost exclusively on the private sector for the supply of housing. The public sector in turn, has only limited powers and resources to regulate the private housing market. And the quality of the private housing stock in Sefton needs to be improved. Nearly a third of all private rented accomodations within Sefton borough falls below the national decent housing standard. With the transfer of the public housing stock to an independent agency, the role of the Council in housing has changed from being a landlord towards strategic planning and development of new housing and regeneration. The main issues in Sefton are adverse housing conditions: overcrowding, sub-standard and ‘tied’ accommodations.

Approach

The Housing subgroup of the IWSG brings together the Housing Advice Centre, Housing Associations, the Council and Southport Partnership in the Strategic Housing Forum. It is hoped to address issues around rogue landlords and around overcrowding and ‘tied’ accommodation through this initiative. Participants in the Strategic Housing Forum are seen as ‘multipliers’ who can alert others in their field to the emerging issues. Also the issues around housing span a number of different departments within and outside the Council structure. Working together thematically enables the group to focus on outcomes.

Researcher: Christiane Wirth Forsberg, Centre on Migration Policy and Society, University of Oxford

Learning experiences

Five challenges and experiences from Sefton:

Migrant workers are needed for the local market.
Migrant workers access housing in private rented sector largely outside the control of local authorities.
Segregation is not the main issue, but housing conditions are: overcrowding, sub-standard and 'tied' accommodations.
In response, a multi-agency Steering Group has been created by Sefton Council.
There is a need for better data and sharing of information.

Resources used

In-house resources Sefton

Contact info

International Workers Steering Group
www.sefton.gov.uk
Jan Egerton (Special Projects Officer), tel. +44-1704-545720

Project start date

//2007

Click here to read the entire case study on housing in Sefton, UK (PDF, Eng, 370 kB)

Document type

case

Themes

Urban Policy

Keywords

Housing