NEWS FROM THE BUILDING AND SOCIAL HOUSING FOUNDATION
Self-help housing
BSHF has published a report examining the multiple benefits that self-help housing can provide to communities. Self-help housing involves local community groups bringing empty properties back into use, and the benefits can include the creation of work and training opportunities, building of local communities and support for neighbourhood regeneration.
The work was undertaken in partnership with Professor David Mullins of the Third Sector Research Centre.
The report is available to order or for free download from the BSHF website:
http://www.bshf.org/published-information/publication.cfm?thePubID=2F9EC046-15C5-F4C0-991896202739F469
Housing benefit modelling
BSHF has published analysis assessing how changes in the labour market could impact upon Housing Benefit claimant numbers in the UK. If the modelled relationship continues to hold, by the middle of next year there will be almost 250,000 more Housing Benefit recipients than current government estimates suggest. These differences would impact on the level of expenditure on Housing Benefit: expenditure would be £400 million higher than government forecasts in 2011/12, rising to £1.2 billion higher than forecast for 2012/13.
The report is available to order or for free download from the BSHF website: http://www.bshf.org/published-information/publication.cfm?thePubID=4E36E822-15C5-F4C0-9910CF24FAAC301E
Friday, 10 June 2011
NEW BOOKS
Understanding Housing Policy, Second Edition, by Brian Lund, Policy Press. ISBN-10: 184742631X ISBN-13: 978-1847426314 http://www.policypress.co.uk Price: £22.99
The second edition of Understanding Housing Policy has been completely revised and updated and includes a new chapter on the political processes involved in the construction and delivery of housing policies.
The new edition:
reviews a number of theoretical perspectives helpful in understanding the normative dimensions of housing policy;
examines explanations of policy development and implementation processes;
explores the development of housing policy in the United Kingdom;
contains a chapter on comparative housing policy;
examines a number of contemporary housing problems:affordability; homelessness; low demand and neighbourhood deprivation; overcrowding; multi-occupation; ‘decent’ homes and‘sustainable’ housing;
devotes a chapter to the relationship between housing and social justice;
includes an assessment of the impact of New Labour’s housing policies and the policy orientation of the Conservative/Liberal Democrat Coalition.
Updates are available at the author’s website: http://housingpolicy.moonfruit.com
Understanding Housing Policy, Second Edition, by Brian Lund, Policy Press. ISBN-10: 184742631X ISBN-13: 978-1847426314 http://www.policypress.co.uk Price: £22.99
The second edition of Understanding Housing Policy has been completely revised and updated and includes a new chapter on the political processes involved in the construction and delivery of housing policies.
The new edition:
reviews a number of theoretical perspectives helpful in understanding the normative dimensions of housing policy;
examines explanations of policy development and implementation processes;
explores the development of housing policy in the United Kingdom;
contains a chapter on comparative housing policy;
examines a number of contemporary housing problems:affordability; homelessness; low demand and neighbourhood deprivation; overcrowding; multi-occupation; ‘decent’ homes and‘sustainable’ housing;
devotes a chapter to the relationship between housing and social justice;
includes an assessment of the impact of New Labour’s housing policies and the policy orientation of the Conservative/Liberal Democrat Coalition.
Updates are available at the author’s website: http://housingpolicy.moonfruit.com
Housing and inequality – A new CIH book in the Practice Studies series. Edited by Isobel Anderson and Duncan Sim.
The UK is a much more unequal society than it was 30 years ago. Over the same period, housing tenure has also been transformed, with a much larger proportion owning their own home and having access to the assets resulting from soaring property values. But where does this leave the one third of society who struggle to maintain their living standards? Many are living in social rented housing, but many too are in the private rented sector, and even owner-occupation has its share of poor households.
The links between housing and social inequality are complex and this book aims to untangle them for the reader. A range of contributors, drawing from their own research, cover topics such as:
• housing and economic inequality
• concentrated poverty in social housing estates
• neighbourhoods and estate regeneration
• whether mixed communities help tackle inequality
• inequality over the life course
• homelessness
• migrants, housing and inequality
• disabled people and their need for accessible housing.
As well as chapters which set the context for discussions about inequality and housing, and a concluding chapter on what a more equitable housing policy might look like, Alan Murie provides an overarching chapter on theprospects for housing policy and inequality. Several chapters also provide international comparisons, especially with the European Union.
The book is both a contribution to an important debate, and an excellent source for students, researchers and practitioners who want to understand why housing plays such an important part - both in creating inequality and in driving the policies that aim to reduce it.
Housing and inequality is £21.00 for HSA and CIH members and £30.00 for HSA and CIH non-members.
For further details about CIH Publications, please visit www.cih.org/publications
The UK is a much more unequal society than it was 30 years ago. Over the same period, housing tenure has also been transformed, with a much larger proportion owning their own home and having access to the assets resulting from soaring property values. But where does this leave the one third of society who struggle to maintain their living standards? Many are living in social rented housing, but many too are in the private rented sector, and even owner-occupation has its share of poor households.
The links between housing and social inequality are complex and this book aims to untangle them for the reader. A range of contributors, drawing from their own research, cover topics such as:
• housing and economic inequality
• concentrated poverty in social housing estates
• neighbourhoods and estate regeneration
• whether mixed communities help tackle inequality
• inequality over the life course
• homelessness
• migrants, housing and inequality
• disabled people and their need for accessible housing.
As well as chapters which set the context for discussions about inequality and housing, and a concluding chapter on what a more equitable housing policy might look like, Alan Murie provides an overarching chapter on theprospects for housing policy and inequality. Several chapters also provide international comparisons, especially with the European Union.
The book is both a contribution to an important debate, and an excellent source for students, researchers and practitioners who want to understand why housing plays such an important part - both in creating inequality and in driving the policies that aim to reduce it.
Housing and inequality is £21.00 for HSA and CIH members and £30.00 for HSA and CIH non-members.
For further details about CIH Publications, please visit www.cih.org/publications
Thursday, 7 April 2011
British Academy small grant: travel to school and housing markets
Ed Ferrari recently won a British Academy small grant to undertake a short project looking at the relationship between travel to school and housing markets in the UK and US. The project aims to collect some baseline comparative microdata from cities in the UK and US and undertake some preliminary analysis in collaboration with Professor Marc Schlossberg of the University of Oregon. For further details contact e.t.ferrari@sheffield.ac.uk
Ed Ferrari recently won a British Academy small grant to undertake a short project looking at the relationship between travel to school and housing markets in the UK and US. The project aims to collect some baseline comparative microdata from cities in the UK and US and undertake some preliminary analysis in collaboration with Professor Marc Schlossberg of the University of Oregon. For further details contact e.t.ferrari@sheffield.ac.uk
News from the Building and Social Housing Federation (BSHF)
Energy efficiency study
BSHF is been supporting a longitudinal study by Metropolitan Housing Partnership on the impact of energy efficiency features in new and retrofitted homes. The first report from the three year study, called ‘Homes of Our Times’, has recently been published and is available for download from MHP: Homes of Our Times The report suggests that there is a worrying gap between designed performance and the actual performance that customers receive. Up to half of residents were unaware of the low and zero carbon technologies (LZCT) in their homes. This initial report assesses whether residents were achieving intended savings, emitting less carbon and using less energy as a result of their greener homes. Evidence presented in the report demonstrates the pressing need for better and clearer engagement and communication to raise awareness of how the homes and technologies work and what residents need to do in order to benefit from them both in terms of energy and financial savings.
Regeneration Inquiry
BSHF’s submission to the Communities and Local Government Select Committee’s inquiry on regeneration drew on academic research into the Housing Market Pathfinder programme. The work, carried out by former BSHF CASE student, Andrea Armstrong, highlighted the challenges that future regeneration efforts will face, particularly in areas that have experienced repeated attempts at regeneration policies and strategies over a period of decades. BSHF Evidence to Select Committee on Regeneration
Welfare Reform – Public Bill Committee
Continuing the work started by its Consultation at Windsor Castle on the subject of Support with Housing Costs, in June 2010, BSHF has submitted evidence to the Public Bill Committee for the Welfare Reform Bill. The evidence drew attention to the fact that the specification of the housing component of Universal Credit (clause 11) is very broadly drawn, potentially granting substantial powers to ministers to change how it is calculated without further parliamentary scrutiny. It also highlighted the need for the design of Universal Credit to be coordinated with wider housing policy (such as the introduction of Affordable Rent), to create a coherent approach. Public Bill Committee evidence
Energy efficiency study
BSHF is been supporting a longitudinal study by Metropolitan Housing Partnership on the impact of energy efficiency features in new and retrofitted homes. The first report from the three year study, called ‘Homes of Our Times’, has recently been published and is available for download from MHP: Homes of Our Times The report suggests that there is a worrying gap between designed performance and the actual performance that customers receive. Up to half of residents were unaware of the low and zero carbon technologies (LZCT) in their homes. This initial report assesses whether residents were achieving intended savings, emitting less carbon and using less energy as a result of their greener homes. Evidence presented in the report demonstrates the pressing need for better and clearer engagement and communication to raise awareness of how the homes and technologies work and what residents need to do in order to benefit from them both in terms of energy and financial savings.
Regeneration Inquiry
BSHF’s submission to the Communities and Local Government Select Committee’s inquiry on regeneration drew on academic research into the Housing Market Pathfinder programme. The work, carried out by former BSHF CASE student, Andrea Armstrong, highlighted the challenges that future regeneration efforts will face, particularly in areas that have experienced repeated attempts at regeneration policies and strategies over a period of decades. BSHF Evidence to Select Committee on Regeneration
Welfare Reform – Public Bill Committee
Continuing the work started by its Consultation at Windsor Castle on the subject of Support with Housing Costs, in June 2010, BSHF has submitted evidence to the Public Bill Committee for the Welfare Reform Bill. The evidence drew attention to the fact that the specification of the housing component of Universal Credit (clause 11) is very broadly drawn, potentially granting substantial powers to ministers to change how it is calculated without further parliamentary scrutiny. It also highlighted the need for the design of Universal Credit to be coordinated with wider housing policy (such as the introduction of Affordable Rent), to create a coherent approach. Public Bill Committee evidence
Second ISA Forum of Sociology, August 1 - 4, 2012
Research Committee 43 (Housing and the Built Environment) of the ISA (International Sociological Association) is hosting a session at the Buenos Aries, Argentina ISA 2nd Forum of Sociology Conference. Details are at the website above. Please note that general papers on housing research will be considered and not just those in relation to Latin America. Abstracts can be submitted to any of the the named programme co-ordinators. Further details are available from http://www.isa-sociology.org/buenos-aires-2012/rc/rc.php?n=RC43
Research Committee 43 (Housing and the Built Environment) of the ISA (International Sociological Association) is hosting a session at the Buenos Aries, Argentina ISA 2nd Forum of Sociology Conference. Details are at the website above. Please note that general papers on housing research will be considered and not just those in relation to Latin America. Abstracts can be submitted to any of the the named programme co-ordinators. Further details are available from http://www.isa-sociology.org/buenos-aires-2012/rc/rc.php?n=RC43
Monday, 14 February 2011
News from Building and Social Housing Foundation (BSHF)
Welfare Reform
BSHF has been paying particular attention to the government’s proposed welfare reforms:
Welfare Reform
BSHF has been paying particular attention to the government’s proposed welfare reforms:
- The findings of last year’s consultation at St George’s House, Windsor Castle were published as ‘Support with Housing Costs: Developing a simplified and sustainable system’. Further details are available from http://www.bshf.org/published-information/publication.cfm?lang=00&thePubID=AB588DD9-15C5-F4C0-993D5892C8E1DCC1
- Jim Vine appeared before the Work and Pensions select committee to discuss proposals for the Universal Credit.
- A short paper was published on the impact of claimant numbers on welfare expenditure. It suggests that relatively small changes in the underlying assumptions on unemployment and economic inactivity lead to large changes in both the number of claimants and overall Housing Benefit expenditure. Further details are available from http://www.bshf.org/published-information/?lang=00
Self-help housing
BSHF has been working with HACT, Self-Help-Housing.org and the Third Sector Research Centre on self-help housing. A report will be published in the spring on this community driven approach to tackling empty properties.
New Understanding Welfare textbooks from The Policy Press
The Policy Press has recently published two new textbooks in the highly regarded Understanding Welfare series:
Understanding community by Peter Somerville
Understanding the environment and social policy edited by Tony Fitzpatrick
Both textbooks are intended for people teaching courses in these areas and are available on inspection for those leading courses of at least 12 students*. Information on each book is detailed below and if you would like to order an inspection copy please follow this link:
http://www.policypress.co.uk/inspection_copy.asp Alternatively they can be ordered at 20% discount on the website http://www.policypress.co.uk/
Understanding community is a highly topical text offering a clear understanding of policy and theory in relation to community. By examining areas of government policy, such as economic development, education, health, housing, and community safety, this book explores the difficulties that communities face and discusses new concepts such as community cohesion, social capital and community capacity building. Somerville challenges our understanding of community, both social and conceptual, and assesses the strengths and limitations of this understanding. This book is recommended for students studying social policy, social work and sociology, and as a resource for policymakers in community development, urban regeneration and allied fields.
Understanding the environment and social policy explores the key social, political, economic and moral challenges that environmental problems pose for social policy in a global context. Combining theory and practice with an interdisciplinary approach, the book reviews the current strategies and policies and provides a critique of proposed future developments in the field. Bringing together leading experts, it guides the reader through the subject in an accessible way using chapter summaries, further reading, recommended webpages, a glossary and questions for discussion.
Providing a comprehensive overview, the book is aimed at students, teachers, activists, practitioners and policymakers.
*Inspection copies are available to lecturers who wish to consider adopting them for a course of 12 or more students. If the title is recommended for purchase on a course, it may be kept. If not, it should be paid for or returned to the distributor in resaleable condition within 28 days. A maximum of three titles can be requested at any one time.
The Policy Press has recently published two new textbooks in the highly regarded Understanding Welfare series:
Understanding community by Peter Somerville
Understanding the environment and social policy edited by Tony Fitzpatrick
Both textbooks are intended for people teaching courses in these areas and are available on inspection for those leading courses of at least 12 students*. Information on each book is detailed below and if you would like to order an inspection copy please follow this link:
http://www.policypress.co.uk/inspection_copy.asp Alternatively they can be ordered at 20% discount on the website http://www.policypress.co.uk/
Understanding community is a highly topical text offering a clear understanding of policy and theory in relation to community. By examining areas of government policy, such as economic development, education, health, housing, and community safety, this book explores the difficulties that communities face and discusses new concepts such as community cohesion, social capital and community capacity building. Somerville challenges our understanding of community, both social and conceptual, and assesses the strengths and limitations of this understanding. This book is recommended for students studying social policy, social work and sociology, and as a resource for policymakers in community development, urban regeneration and allied fields.
Understanding the environment and social policy explores the key social, political, economic and moral challenges that environmental problems pose for social policy in a global context. Combining theory and practice with an interdisciplinary approach, the book reviews the current strategies and policies and provides a critique of proposed future developments in the field. Bringing together leading experts, it guides the reader through the subject in an accessible way using chapter summaries, further reading, recommended webpages, a glossary and questions for discussion.
Providing a comprehensive overview, the book is aimed at students, teachers, activists, practitioners and policymakers.
*Inspection copies are available to lecturers who wish to consider adopting them for a course of 12 or more students. If the title is recommended for purchase on a course, it may be kept. If not, it should be paid for or returned to the distributor in resaleable condition within 28 days. A maximum of three titles can be requested at any one time.
'Transforming Private Landlords' by Tony Crook & Peter A Kemp was published
in November by Wiley Blackwell: ISBN 978-1-4051-8415-1
Recent years have seen a sea change in attitudes to investment in private rental housing. Although private letting was one of the most important investment outlets in the nineteenth century, for much of the twentieth century private landlordism was in decline. Indeed, the privately rented sector witnessed net disinvestment by landlords for seven decades prior to the late 1980s.
Since then, however, there has been a significant revival of investment in private rental housing and growth in its market share. Meanwhile the image of private landlordism has greatly improved and the highly polarised attitudes of the past have been replaced by political consensus on the important role that landlords can play in housing provision.
An extensive array of government initiatives was introduced in order to attract new investment back into the private lettings market. This included rent deregulation, the Business Expansion Scheme, Housing Investment Trusts, and Real Estate Investment Trusts. Many of these initiatives were particularly aimed at enticing property companies and financial institutions into the residential lettings market. Yet the revival of letting has come from private individuals investing in so called ‘buy to let’ housing rather than from the corporate sector.
Transforming private landlords: housing, markets and public policy explores the origins, nature and extent of this revival in the fortunes of private landlordism. It present an in depth analysis of private landlords, the rationales for, and ways in which governments have sought to revitalise investment in residential lettings and their success in doing so. It assesses the extent to which landlordism has been transformed in recent years and the lessons for policy that can be learned from this experience.
The book addresses a major gap in the literature about an important actor in housing provision and the built environment. It draws on findings from the authors' research and interviews conducted with thousand of landlords in Britain.
Tony Crook is Professor Emeritus of Town & Regional Planning at the University of Sheffield and Peter Kemp is Barnett Professor of Social Policy at the University of Oxford
in November by Wiley Blackwell: ISBN 978-1-4051-8415-1
Recent years have seen a sea change in attitudes to investment in private rental housing. Although private letting was one of the most important investment outlets in the nineteenth century, for much of the twentieth century private landlordism was in decline. Indeed, the privately rented sector witnessed net disinvestment by landlords for seven decades prior to the late 1980s.
Since then, however, there has been a significant revival of investment in private rental housing and growth in its market share. Meanwhile the image of private landlordism has greatly improved and the highly polarised attitudes of the past have been replaced by political consensus on the important role that landlords can play in housing provision.
An extensive array of government initiatives was introduced in order to attract new investment back into the private lettings market. This included rent deregulation, the Business Expansion Scheme, Housing Investment Trusts, and Real Estate Investment Trusts. Many of these initiatives were particularly aimed at enticing property companies and financial institutions into the residential lettings market. Yet the revival of letting has come from private individuals investing in so called ‘buy to let’ housing rather than from the corporate sector.
Transforming private landlords: housing, markets and public policy explores the origins, nature and extent of this revival in the fortunes of private landlordism. It present an in depth analysis of private landlords, the rationales for, and ways in which governments have sought to revitalise investment in residential lettings and their success in doing so. It assesses the extent to which landlordism has been transformed in recent years and the lessons for policy that can be learned from this experience.
The book addresses a major gap in the literature about an important actor in housing provision and the built environment. It draws on findings from the authors' research and interviews conducted with thousand of landlords in Britain.
Tony Crook is Professor Emeritus of Town & Regional Planning at the University of Sheffield and Peter Kemp is Barnett Professor of Social Policy at the University of Oxford
New report on local housing market volatility
The Joseph Rowntree Foundation recently published the report Local Housing Market Volatility, which was written by Ed Ferrari and Alasdair Rae (Sheffield University). The report, which was written as as submission to the JRF's Housing Markets Taskforce, finds that the last housing market boom - which ended with the credit crunch - was one of the longest in recent history and exacerbated regional and local inequalities in the housing market. The gaps between different parts of the country grew wider in housing market terms. The report suggests that policymakers need to renew their attention to the demand side of the housing market - and regional differentials in the economy in particular. It also suggests that these regional differentials and patterns of population mobility within the country serve to reinforce structural patterns of inequality in the housing market.
The full report and a four page summary 'Findings' can be downloaded from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation's website at: http://www.jrf.org.uk/publications/local-housing-market-volatility
The Joseph Rowntree Foundation recently published the report Local Housing Market Volatility, which was written by Ed Ferrari and Alasdair Rae (Sheffield University). The report, which was written as as submission to the JRF's Housing Markets Taskforce, finds that the last housing market boom - which ended with the credit crunch - was one of the longest in recent history and exacerbated regional and local inequalities in the housing market. The gaps between different parts of the country grew wider in housing market terms. The report suggests that policymakers need to renew their attention to the demand side of the housing market - and regional differentials in the economy in particular. It also suggests that these regional differentials and patterns of population mobility within the country serve to reinforce structural patterns of inequality in the housing market.
The full report and a four page summary 'Findings' can be downloaded from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation's website at: http://www.jrf.org.uk/publications/local-housing-market-volatility
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