SOCIAL HOUSING: VISION 2020 Dr Tim Brown Independent Consultant: HPPR Senior Research Associate: Housing & Local Government: DMU 16 October 2014 De Montfort University Department of Politics and Public Policy

Three Key Messages Alluring but Misleading to Focus on New Legislation, Major Developments, the Election(s) etc Existing Stock and Households ‘Self Help’

Definitions Social Housing –Allocated According to Need Rather Than Ability to Pay –Less than Market Rent Need!

Alluring but Misleading! Five Years+ for New Legislation to Make a Difference on the Ground Major Development Sites Take Five Years+ to be Built Out No National Political Consensus on (Social) Housing Development

National Governments and the Election(s) Low Political Priority for (Social) Housing e.g. –Health –Adult Social Care –Children’s Services –‘Making the Case for Housing’? Tackling the Budget Deficit –Kerslake and Devolution Economy

No Knight in Shining Armour Coming to the Rescue of Social Housing! So…Help Ourselves and Focus on Stock and Households

Existing Stock and Households Why its Important (2012/13) e.g. –New Affordable Housing Completions: 30,000 –Social Housing Lettings: 288,000 –Homeless Households in Temporary Accommodation: 53,000 –Decent Homes Standard: 580,000 Social Housing Units Fail This Modest Standard –Overcrowding (2011 Census): 537,000 Black & Ethnic Minority Households in England & Wales Live in Over- Crowded Households –260,000 Long Term Empty Homes

What are the Benefits? Quick Wins Utilising Hidden Capacity and Underused Assets Less Capital Expenditure Tackling Related Issues e.g. Neighbourhood Blight

What Might It Involve? Nothing Necessarily New…But Comprehensive and Co-ordinated Approach Targeted for Maximum Impact – Sector and/or Segment Not Reliant on New Legislation and Regulation Meet Local Requirements

Nothing New…But Co- ordinated Supply e.g. –Long term social housing voids –Difficult to let sheltered housing –Private sector leasing –Buying existing properties Need e.g. –Households in temporary accommodation –Key workers Advice and Information on e.g. –Mutual exchange and mobility schemes –Incentives to move for under-occupying older people

New and Co-ordinated e.g. Working with Communities e.g. community contracts, mutualism / co- operatives, co-production etc Utilise, if relevant, Governments’ Disease of ‘Initiativitis’ One-stop Hub for Services

Summary Help Ourselves: ‘Localism’ and ‘Devolution’ in Action Comprehensive and Co-ordinated Local Approach on Existing (Social) Housing Stock and Households

Discussions and Questions Dr Tim Brown or