Thursday 29 October 2009

EARLY CAREER FEATURE

Regeneration in Deprived Coastal Communities- an exploration beyond tourism

The British government currently has no direct policy targeted specifically at coastal towns which may be due in part to their considerable variability in size and characteristics. It has been noted over recent years that Britain’s seaside towns have become a ‘problem area’, yet little research into the depth, causes, and consequences of these ‘problems’ has taken place (for some discussion see Beatty and Fothergill 2004) . Despite this apparent lack of political direction and academic research, the indices of deprivation (2007) show that many coastal areas suffer from high levels of deprivation, in some cases, comparable to those found in our inner cities.

In 2006 the House of Commons Coastal Town Report concluded to central government that coastal towns in England do in fact share some common features. Such features include physical and social isolation of individuals and populations, seasonal employment/low wage /skilled jobs, dependence on a single industry and outward migration of young people compared to an in-ward migration of older people. Also highlighted in this report was the ‘high incidence of poor housing conditions and a high proportion of privately rented homes found in coastal town’s (House of Commons 2006 p9). Particular reference is made to Houses of Multiple Occupancy (HMOs). A HMO is a building in which more than one household shares an amenity, a converted building which does not contain entirely self contained flats and is occupied by more than one household. The House of Commons report makes a connection between vulnerable transient populations and the high levels of HMOs in seaside towns. These vulnerable populations, i.e. people “who are unable to meet their own everyday needs owing to a physical or mental health condition or who are vulnerable because of their situation, such as homelessness”, may be looking for cheap, easily obtainable accommodation (House of Commons 2006, p18). In some coastal towns this has led to the marginalization of poor residents into the same houses, streets and neighbourhoods, creating, in some coastal towns across the country, what could be referred to as ‘seaside slums’. Although no policy has been developed or established by the government to combat the characteristic problems of some coastal towns, a number of more broad polices have been put into effect including the Housing Act 2004, which introduced a mandatory licensing scheme for HMOs in an attempt to raise housing conditions and New Labour’s commitment to Neighbourhood Renewal (NR) which aims to improve the quality of life of those living in the most deprived neighbourhoods. The rest of this paper shall give a brief evaluation of each policy at work in the coastal town of Ilfracombe.

The author has been conducting research in the town of Ilfracombe, situated on the North Devon coast in the South West of England. Ilfracombe has suffered from economic decline since the 1970s, as more people went abroad for their yearly vacation; it has suffered a deepening sense of isolation, as railways and cruise lines closed; and it has witnessed a decline in investment which saw many of the grand Edwardian and Victorian houses and seaside hotels converted into cheap flats and bed sits as their upkeep became harder to afford. The central ward of the town is, according to the Indices of Deprivation 2004, among one of the 10% most deprived places in England and has one of the highest levels of non-decent housing in Devon. Since 2005 mandatory HMO licensing has been enforced by North Devon District Council (NDDC), and in conjunction with this, a Neighbourhood Management Pathfinder, a key programme of NR, has been established in Ilfracombe in a strategic effort to regenerate the town. From interviews with key strategic and ground level officers from NDDC during the fieldwork phase of doctoral research it became apparent that the implementation of HMO licensing- and consequentially raising the standards of accommodation in Ilfracombe- is challenging to enforce and the process of prosecuting unlicensed landlords can led to difficulties. Interviews with tenants of HMOs has also brought to the fore the difficulties with HMO licensing- which included the fear of being evicted and an increased rent during the process of improvement and repair. For many tenants, fear of eviction as improvement notices are issued, is fierce and far from paranoid. Of the landlords interviewed during the research most stated they would wait for tenants to leave the property or warrant eviction before carrying out repairs. This leaves some vulnerable tenants- who make-up a large proportion of the coastal HMO population- in a situation where they risk homelessness. However in a bid to improve services and deliver neighbourhood renewal the Neighbourhood Management Pathfinder ‘Transform’ was developed and deployed to work across Ilfracombe and surrounding villages. Transform initiatives include a Social Prescribing Service, Healthier Homes Advisors and number of other services, including a One-Stop-Shop with council, community and voluntary services under one roof. Each service has supported tenants of HMOs in varying ways, including giving advice, working closely with NDDCs Environmental Health Officers to improve housing conditions and, in some cases, mediating with landlords. Additionally, Transform has also sought to improve key aspects of life, highlighted by the House of Commons Coastal Town Report. Schemes include Young Advisors, Street Pastors, Neighbourhood Wardens, job and skills training as well as work with various charities which support the mental and physical needs of many vulnerable HMO tenants on a daily basis. On a practical level, NDDC has established a firm basis for improvement of HMOs, issuing more improvement notices and offering support through grant and loans schemes, than ever before. Furthermore the Transform Pathfinder and its partners are additionally supporting tenants using a number of schemes, some mentioned above. The partnership of the two policies is far from perfect but does offer one solution to improve housing conditions for vulnerable tenants whilst supporting the complex social, physical and economic needs of some individuals. So, whilst no policy has been employed by central government to target the deprivation found in some coastal towns, both the Housing Act 2004 and Neighbourhood Renewal could work together to combat the problems found in many coastal towns, and perhaps other disadvantaged communities across the country.

Kim Ward, PhD Student
Department of Geography, University of Exeter


References

Beatty C and Fothergill S (2004) Economic change and the Labour Market in Britain’s Seaside Towns. Regional Studies 38 (5) 461 – 480

House of Commons Report (2006) Communities and Local Government Committee: Coastal Towns. Second Report of Session 2006-2007.

Monday 26 October 2009

RESEARCH EXCELLENCE FRAMEWORK 2008-2012 CONSULTATION (UK)

Dear Colleague,

As you may be aware, the Higher Education Funding Councils for England and Wales (HEFCE and HEFCW), the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) and the Department for Education and Learning Northern Ireland (DELNI) are undertaking a second round of consultation on the proposed arrangements for the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2008-2012. (The full consultation document can be downloaded from http://www.hefce.ac.uk/pubs/hefce/2009/09_38/.)

The REF will be the key process by which the quality and impact of research in UK Higher Education (HE) institutions will be assessed. As was the case with its predecessor the Research Assessment Exercise (RAE), the results of the REF will have important implications for the distribution of funding in the sector.

The HSA’s Executive Committee asked me to coordinate a possible submission to the REF consultation on the behalf of the Association.

While we recognise that many academic Departments and Institutions will be preparing their own responses to this consultation, we believe that it is important that the HSA, as a Learned Society and with a role to play in representing its members’ interests, also makes a submission.

We are concerned that the views of the HSA membership are fully reflected in helping us to construct and frame our response. I have made a few personal notes regarding the REF (below), which may act as a springboard for further discussion.

Should you have any views on the position that the HSA should adopt in its submission to this consultation, or would like to make any representation on the matter of any kind, please do not hesitate to get in touch. I would be grateful if any responses could be in my possession by 20 November 2009 so that I can reflect on them in time for the consultation deadline in December.

Best wishes


Ed Ferrari, HSA treasurer
Email: e.t.ferrari@sheffield.ac.uk

----
Note on the Research Excellence Framework 2008-12 consultation

One of the key issues for consultation revolves around the designation of the Units of Assessment (UoA) (consultation question 6). As part of a drastic reduction in the number of UoAs, there is a proposal that the Town & Country Planning unit is merged with Architecture and the Built Environment. This could potentially have ramifications for many (although not all) housing scholars.

In the 1996 Research Assessment Excerise (RAE), Planning-related departments were assessed alongside Built Environment colleagues. In the 2008 RAE, the existence of the 2008 Town and Country Planning panel emerged from dissatisfaction in 1996, because it was felt that many social science disciplines suffered from a lack of sufficient representation or enough detailed expertise at the UoA level. It would seem that in 1996 problems emerged because the academic interests and priorities of Built Environment departments often coalesced around technical and physical engineering interests, quite different to the range of social-scientific interests of many housing scholars. Built Environment colleagues were often involved in very large research projects and consortia, often aimed at solving very technical issues, which tended to emphasise inputs over outputs in a way that was quite different to the priorities of housing scholars. For example, there is a potential danger that the outputs and impacts (e.g. policy development) associated with Housing Studies (and planning) would be marginalised in a UoA which combined planning with the built environment.

In the 2008 exercise, housing outputs comprised around 6% of all submissions. Housing scholars were also involved in producing outputs for a wide range of other 'sub-disciplines', including regeneration (16%) and real estate (10%). It seems appropriate that the composition of the UoA Panel should continue to reflect the importance of housing outputs. A broader UoA encompassing architecture and the built environment could possibly work counter to this imperative. In particular, having a similarly-sized panel with a broader remit would likely mean that specialist housing representation would be squeezed out.

Although it is recognised that having the debate on the definition and composition of UoAs is welcome and necessary, it would surely be of concern if scholars coming from a social-sciences tradition, like many housing and planning scholars, were assessed in a more technical environment.

There are other issues on which HEFCE and its counterparts are seeking views, but it is probably the issue of UoA designation that is of the greatest significance to the HSA as a research community. It would seem sensible that any HSA response should focus on this issue.

Ed Ferrari
October 2009

2010 HOUSING STUDIES ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE: EARLY CAREER STREAM

Call for papers now open. We invite contributions covering any aspect of housing studies, including policy and practice. We invite Early Career Researchers to submit an abstract to present a poster, a short paper, or a long paper.

Poster
Posters will be displayed in areas where delegates congregate, with presenters available to discuss and answer questions.

Short paper
Presentation (5-10 mins) of research ideas, methods, analysis, literature, theory, where the aim is to discuss emerging issues related to their research in an informal, supportive arena.

Long paper
Presentation (20-25 mins) of substantive aspects of a research project, including findings.

Submission and Attendance Information
Please send a short abstract (200 words) outlining your proposed presentation or poster and giving full contact details for the corresponding author to:

Rachael Dobson,
Email: r.dobson00@leeds.ac.uk.

Closing date for acceptance of abstracts: 31 January 2010.

Early career scholars giving papers will be offered a discounted conference
rate. You can find more about the Housing Studies Association and the Conference by visiting the website at:
http://www.york.ac.uk/inst/chp/hsa/spring10/index.html

2010 HOUSING STUDIES ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE

New Directions for Housing? Housing in an Era of Change
University of York, 14-16 April 2010

The past decade has been one of tumultuous change in the housing field. In 2010 we can expect the economic and political landscape, both in the UK and elsewhere, to change significantly again. Dealing with the aftermath of the 'credit crunch' and the first 'structural' recession in the history of modern capitalism will mean working in a new era of fiscal austerity. The politics of housing may need to adapt in response.

Reflecting on how the Housing profession has changed in the last decade may equip us for the future. In terms of the challenges that remain and the new ones ahead, we ask what can be done; what should be done? New and imaginative responses are required. Hence, the 2010 Housing Studies Association conference invites responses to this question: what directions should housing take in the face of economic and political change?

Confirmed speakers include:
• Professor Duncan Maclennan
• Dr Becky Tunstall
• Dr Richard Ronald
• Dr Tim Leunig

The call for papers is now open. We invite papers covering any aspect of housing studies, including policy and practice. We would particularly welcome papers that address the conference theme of new directions in the face of economic and political change.

Please send a short abstract (200 words) outlining your proposed paper and giving full contact details for the corresponding author to:

Ed Ferrari
Email: e.t.ferrari@sheffield.ac.uk
Fax: +44 (0) 114 272 2199

Closing date for acceptance of abstracts: 31 January 2009

For more information about the HSA and the annual conference please see the website:
www.housing-studies-association.org/spring10

Tuesday 13 October 2009

ACSS NOMINATIONS

The Housing Studies Association are delighted to announce this year's successful nomination to the Academy of Social Sciences is, Professor Peter Malpass, University of the West of England. Congratulations to Peter on his nomination, which reflects his valuable and longstanding contribution to the housing studies community.

For more information about the ACSS please see their website:
http://www.acss.org.uk/

NEW ACADEMIC PUBLICATIONS

Powell, R. and Flint, J. (2009) '(In)formalization and the civilizing process: Applying the work of Norbert Elias to housing-based anti-social behaviour interventions in the UK', Housing, Theory and Society, 26 (3), pp.159-178.

Robinson, D. (forthcoming) 'New immigrants and migrants in social housing in Britain: discursive themes and lived realities', Policy and Politics. Advanced access at: http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/tpp/pap/pre-prints

RC43 International Sociological Association Conference 2010

ISA World Congress of Sociology, Gothenburg, July 11-17, 2010
Cities and the housing boom/bust

Joint session of RC21 Regional and Urban Development and RC43 Housing and Built Environment

Organizers:
- Manuel Aalbers, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands, m.b.aalbers@gmail.com
- Ken Gibb, University of Glasgow, UK, k.gibb@socsci.gla.ac.uk

Housing markets are highly dependent on the economic performance of cities. Yet, local housing market boom/bust is shaped not only at the city level, but also at the national and increasingly as the financial crisis of 2007-2009 makes clear at the global level. Local, national and global factors interact to produce housing booms/busts. A housing boom may be seen as a sign of economic vitality of a city, but also implies an affordability crisis for large parts of the urban population. A housing bust may be connected to an economic downturn and may result in redundant housing in one city and only a pause in increasing house prices in another.

Possible topics for this session include, but are not limited to:

o The local politics of housing
o Examples of housing boom/bust
o Analysis of how local, national and global factors shape markets
o Local housing effects of the global financial crisis
o Booming neighbourhoods in a busting city
o Busting neighbourhoods in a booming city
o The real estate network as a growth machine

Please email abstracts before the 9th December too:
Professor Kenneth Gibb
k.gibb@socsci.gla.ac.uk

NEWS FROM CLG

Transformational Change? A Synthesis of New Evidence 2008-09

http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/communities/transformchangendcp

This report synthesises the evidence and analysis from a variety of reports published as part of the evaluation of the New Deal for Communities Programme on the extent of change that has occurred in the 39 deprived neighbourhoods the programme covers.


An Overview of Cross-sectional Change Data 2002-2008

http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/communities/crosssectiondatandcp

This report presents new data from the 2008 New Deal for Communities household survey and, for key indicators, tracks change from 2002 across the series of household surveys bi-annually. Local and national benchmarks are included where data permits.


Four Years of Change? Understanding the Experiences of the 2002-2006 New Deal for Communities Panel - Main Report

http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/communities/fouryearschangendcp

This report provides a longitudinal perspective on outcome change in deprived areas through the analysis of household survey data collected as part of the evaluation of the New Deal for Communities Programme.

Understanding and tackling worklessness volume 1: Worklessness, employment and enterprise: Patterns and change
http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/communities/worklessnessvol1


Understanding and tackling worklessness volume 2: Neighbourhood level problems, interventions, and outcomes
http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/communities/worklessnessvol2


Improving outcomes? Engaging local communities in the NDC Programme
http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/communities/improvingoutcomesndcp

This study explores the nature and impact of community engagement activities in six New Deal for Communities (NDC) Partnerships.


Raising educational attainment in deprived areas: the challenges of geography and residential mobility for area-based initiatives

http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/communities/educationndcp

This report explores the challenges in New Deal for Communities areas for local partnerships to develop and evaluate effective interventions to raise the educational attainment of local children.


Residential mobility and outcome change in deprived areas


http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/communities/residentmobilityndcp

This report examines the nature and impact of residential mobility on outcome change in the New Deal for Communities areas with a focus on how 6 case study partnerships experience and address issues raised by residential mobility in their areas.


The 2008 Partnership Survey

http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/communities/parnershipsurvey2008

This report sets out the findings from the 2008 New Deal for Communities Partnership Survey which covers a range of operational issues such as personnel and staffing,partnerships with other agencies, organisational structure and plans for succession.


The NDC Programme: Outputs and Expenditure 1999-2007


http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/communities/outputsexpenditurendcp

This report presents a summary of data on spend and outputs to date.

NEW PUBLICATIONS FROM CIH

Introducing Affordable Housing

This new edition of the essential book for housing and related courses is now available. The provision and management of affordable housing demands a wide range of knowledge and expertise. This important text examines the history and role of social and affordable housing in the UK and goes on to explore how it is financed, developed, and managed. It considers the key tasks which housing professionals have to undertake and some of the issues inherent in different approaches to these tasks. It recognises that sustainability underlies the work of affordable housing providers, in terms not only of protecting the environment and our scarce resources, but also in relation to promoting social and community cohesion within neighbourhoods.

Introducing Affordable Housing - part of the Practice Studies range - is particularly useful for students studying the Chartered Institute of Housing’s recognised qualifications, but also for broader, social policy-focused courses where an understanding of housing as a social policy issue is necessary.

For more information about Introducing Affordable Housing visit:
http://www.cih.org/publications/pub128.htm

For more information about the Practice Studies series visit http:
//www.cih.org/practice/studies

Publication Updates

Publication Updates is a new service brought to you by the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH), it is an e-communication that will keep you up-to-date with information on CIH publications and special offers. Subscribe today to this free service. For more information about Publication Updates visit:
http://www.cih.org/publications/subscribe

DASS SEMINAR SERIES - UNIVERSITY OF STIRLING

5TH KEYWORD SEMINAR: REVISTING 'EVIDENCE' AND 'PRACTICE', 11th November 2009

An event hosted by the Governance, Participation and Inclusion Research Group, Department of Applied Social Sciences, University of Stirling, aimed at exploring contemporary keywords in the applied social sciences in a way which links theory, policy, research and practice from an interdisciplinary perspective.

Confirmed speakers include: Hal Pawson, Ian Sanderson, Isobel Anderson and Huw Davies, and the event will be chaired by: Richard Simmons

Further details and registration at:
http://www.dass.stir.ac.uk/old-site/evidence/

NEWS FROM CRESR

Understanding and Evaluating the Impact of the North Staffordshire Landlord Accreditation Scheme

A team of researchers from CRESR have been commissioned by Stoke-on-Trent City Council to evaluate the impact of Landlord accreditation and associated services to tenants and Landlords provided as part of the scheme. The research will investigate the impact that Landlord accreditation has had on the private rented sector across North Staffordshire, particularly in terms of improving housing conditions for tenants. The evaluation will also assess the perceptions of Landlords and tenants and provide recommendations on the future development of the accreditation scheme. A final report will be produced in January 2010. For information about this study please contact Paul Hickman: p.g.hickman@shu.ac.uk

New Deal for Communities Evaluation

A series of detailed reports has recently been published by CRESR as part of the ten year national evaluation of New Deal for Communities. The NDC Programme is one of the more interesting Area Based Initiatives ever launched In England in that community driven partnerships are aiming to transform 39 very deprived neighbourhoods over ten years. The most recent tranche of outputs includes reports on worklessness, an analysis of change data for the 2002-2008 period, exploration of change for those who stayed in NDC areas between 2002 and 2006, and an examination of relationships between outcomes and community engagement. The Reports can be accessed at: http://www.communities.gov.uk/corporate/publications/all/

For more information about the NDC evaluation please contact Paul Lawless: p.l.lawless@shu.ac.uk

CRESR seminar series

There are two seminars over the next month as part of the 2009/10 CRESR seminar series, all are welcome:

28 October 2009 4pm, 9130, Furnival Building, City Campus
Ian Rotherham - Sheffield Hallam University
Ecology: A Luxury or a Driver for Regional Regeneration?

18 November 2009 4pm, 9130, Furnival Building, City Campus
Rebecca Tunstall - London School of Economics
Housing and Children's Life Chances, 1946-2000

For more information about the CRESR seminar series please contact Ryan Powell: r.s.powell@shu.ac.uk

Research Reports:


Flint, J., Powell, R., Casey, R., Pearce, S., Moore, T. and Green, S. (2009) A Study to Examine Local Barriers to the Delivery of Affordable Housing in Rural Wales. Sheffield, Sheffield Hallam University.

This research examines the barriers to the delivery of affordable housing in rural Wales and also identifies key enabling factors and good practice. The Report presents findings and sets out recommendations for local authorities, local planning authorities and the Welsh Assembly Government and is available to download in both English and Welsh at: http://wales.gov.uk/topics/planning/planningresearch/publishedresearch/affordablehousing/

For further information about this study please contact John Flint: j.f.flint@shu.ac.uk