Helping Home Owners to Help Themselves? Recent developments housing renewal policy in housing renewal policy

Abstract

This paper reviews developments in private sector housing renewal policy in England and Wales in the 1980s, and looks forward to the 1990s in the light of new legislation which came into operation in July 1990. Initially the paper looks at evidence on the condition of housing stock and at demographic, economic and social trends affecting dwelling stock condition and the ability of households to repair, improve or maintain their dwellings. It then examines government policies to privatise both the administration of housing renewal and the financing of investment during the 1980s and examines the reasons for the failure of these policies. The paper discusses the provisions of the 1989 Local Government and Housing Act relating to housing renewal and concludes that the new framework is too limited in the help which it provides and that the resources available are inadequate. If low income home owners trapped in poor housing conditions are to be helped with the repair and maintenance of their home sit will be necessary to develop a range of other measures. These may include subsidised loans, equity sharing mechanisms, savings and insurance schemes, and the provision of practical help through home improvement agencies. A better understanding of how people make investment decisions is also needed. Finally the government should take steps to regulate the building industry and to increase the supply of skilled labour and competent firms working in the housing renewal sector.