Living together in the UK : when housing becomes an obstacle

Abstract

This paper finds its origin in a number of discussions with officials in the UK about what I call the UK housing conundrum. By this I mean the worsening housing conditions experienced by many households, the incapacity of a growing section of the population to house themselves at a reasonable price and the seeming powerlessness of national and local authorities to match supply and demand. This is despite the planning system having been tasked with creating socially balanced communities since its inception in 1947, a commitment upheld by most post-war governments. Although living together has long been an official objective of planning and housing policies in the UK, this objective is increasingly difficult to achieve because of recent policy choices as I shall explain. In this paper I would first like to look briefly at the housing context of and background to recent housing policies. Second, the links between the planning system and socially balanced communities will be examined from a historical perspective. Third, I shall look at some recent changes in housing policy that make it harder for British people to live together; finally, I shall explore the recent consequences of those policy choices. The article only looks at social balance from an income perspective and not from an ethnic one for lack of space, and it focuses mostly on England.