Housing Studies Association, Annual Conference 2014, Tuesday 15th- Thursday 17th April, University of York, UK, 'The Value of Housing'

Papers are invited from academics and practitioners in housing and related disciplines for the HSA’s 2014 Conference.The value of housing in recent years has focused on the negative financial aspects arising from economic recession. As we move towards recovery, important debates are on-going around access to and availability of affordable and appropriate housing across all tenures and all generations.This draws attention to the wider value that we place on housing in society. Individually a house is valued for meeting the most basic of needs – something that is starkly exposed by the multitude of problems that arise from being homeless or repossessed. The value of housing also becomes inextricably linked with neighbourhoods, social environments and landscapes of opportunity; access to communities, labour markets, education, health. Increasingly housing is being re-positioned from wobbly pillar to lynch pin of asset-based welfare policy. In this new era, the HSA conference provides an opportunity to discuss and debate these economic, social and moral values of housing.
Keynote Speakers will focus on three main themes:　

• The value of housing to welfare
• A discussion around who is best placed to judge the value of housing
• The value of housing to the national economy

Confirmed Speakers include:

• Julia Unwin, Joseph Rowntree Foundation
• Professor Susan J Smith, University of Cambridge
• Paul Tennant, Orbit (and President of CIH)　
• Vidhya Alaekson, Resolution Foundation
• Ruth Davison, National Housing Federation
• Ben Harrison, Centre for Cities

Papers addressing aspects of housing policy, practice or theory are welcome on (but not limited to):

• The value of housing in poverty eradication
• Value of housing to occupants - sociological, identity, family, health, etc
• Costs of not having housing - homelessness, temporary accommodation, and welfare benefit changes
• Measuring the value of housing　
• Value for money of investment in housing
• Protecting the value of housing wealth
• The value of home across the life course
• The moral discourse of housing supply and availability
• The value of housing for asset-based welfare
• Land values; housing shortages
• The value of housing’s wider-role

Offers of papers (a title and 200 word abstract) should be emailed to Anna Clarke (acc44@cam.ac.uk) and Beverley Searle (b.a.searle@dundee.ac.uk) by Friday 31 January.　 (Please note the organisers reserve a right to edit abstracts that exceed the 200 word limit).　

An Early Career Stream will run in parallel with the main conference.　 Abstracts for this stream (also 200 word limit) should be sent to Gareth Young (gjyoung1@shef.ac.uk ) and Ben Pattison (bmp248@bham.ac.uk) by Friday 31 January.　 Early Career delegates will be invited to submit a written paper after the conference in order to be considered for the Valerie Karn Memorial Prize.
Six bursaries, jointly funded by the HSA and Housing Studies Charitable Trust are available providing financial support for attending the conference.　 Details can be found on the HSA website.
For further details also visit  the HSA website