EUKN - United Kingdom - Ends and means: the future roles of social housing in England

Ends and means: the future roles of social housing in England

Introduction

The report aims to look at the role social housing, provided at sub-market rents by not-for-profit housing associations, can play in 21st century housing policy in England.

Description

The aims and principles underlying housing policy, and background information on the social housing sector are set out. Data on housing conditions and trends, and the scale of social housing are presented. The resources applied to social housing, subsidies and housing support are discussed.

The main analysis measures the success of social housing in meeting various objectives:

providing affordable housing;
providing a standard of housing to meet the ‘decent homes’ standard;
creating a mix of tenants in genuinely mixed communities;
supporting social mobility and opportunities, including in the labour market;
providing alternative forms of support such as low cast home ownership schemes;
and responding to changing needs to enable greater geographical mobility.

Background information

The research was commissioned in June 2006 by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, to carry out an independent assessment of the aims and role of social housing for the 21st century.

Methodology

The research examined evidence from policy documents, research, statistical sources and data relating to social housing.

Conclusions

The evidence points to the crucial role of social housing in the lives of nearly four million households in England.

The report suggests four areas where policy could be reformed to better achieve the objectives of social housing:

increasing attention to the existing stock and tenant population;
supporting mixed incomes within existing communities;
supporting people’s livelihoods;
and providing a ‘more varied menu’ for prospective and existing tenants.

Contact info

ESRC Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion (CASE), The London School of Economics and Political Science
Houghton Street
WC2A 2AE London
United Kingdom
John Hills (Director, ESRC Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion (CASE)), tel. +44 20 7955 6679

Publication date

Project finished

01/02/2007

Researcher

John Hills

Links

Visit the The London School of Economics and Political Science website

Download the "Future roles of social housing" Report (PDF, Eng, 865 KB)

Document type

research

Themes

Urban Policy > Housing > Housing policy

Keywords

Social housing