EUKN - United Kingdom - Transferable lessons in regeneration from the Housing Action Trusts

Transferable lessons in regeneration from the Housing Action Trusts

Introduction

This report presents the findings of an evaluation of the Housing Action Trusts (HATs) in North Hull, Waltham Forest, Castle Vale, Liverpool, Tower Hamlets and Stonebridge, highlighting the key transferable lessons in regeneration.

Problem

Disadvantaged areas that have experienced exclusion over a number of years require intensive, long-term management to put them on the upward spiral of regeneration. The HAT initiative provides a valuable case study of a programme of regeneration that has evolved in practice over the last decade.

Description

The evaluation of the HATs has highlighted eight transferable lessons. These are:

support residents’ interests;
secure effective housing management;
secure multi-objective physical regeneration;
provide individual support for the most excluded groups;
facilitate employment through local labour schemes;
implement local outcome monitoring;
prioritise the succession strategy; and
track programme impacts.

The study was commissioned by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and carried out by the Centre for Research into Urban Environments at the University of Newcastle and the Sustainable Cities Research Institute at the University of Northumbria.

Approach

The six HATs were established between 1991-1994 to target resources on regenerating former local authority housing estates with severe socio-economic problems. They were time-limited, non-departmental public bodies, each run by a board that included representatives from the people who live on the estate. All HATs have now finished, although the work they started is continuing.

Results

The evaluation of the HATs has highlighted eight transferable lessons. These are:

support residents’ interests;
secure effective housing management;
secure multi-objective physical regeneration;
provide individual support for the most excluded groups;
facilitate employment through local labour schemes;
implement local outcome monitoring;
prioritise the succession strategy; and
track programme impacts.

Beneficiaries

People living in disadvantaged communities in the HAT areas.

Financing

The HAT initiative involved the allocation of £1,095 million over a 14-year period.

Contact info

Office of the Deputy Prime Minister
Phone: +44 20 7944 4400
enquiryodpm@odpm.gsi.gov.uk

Project start date

01/01/1991

Planned end date

01/03/2005

Links

Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (now Department for Communities and Local Government)Sustainable Cities Research Institute, University of Northumbria Online summary of 'Transferable Lessons from Housing Action Trusts – Mid-point evaluation'

Document type

case

Themes

Urban Policy > Urban environment

Keywords

Urban renewal