Social Housing Provision Research Articles

Under-Consumption Penalties in the Low Carbon Market: Reflections From a Spanish Social Housing Provider

This proposal focuses on the analysis of three case studies of a Spanish social landlord—Basque Alokabide, submitted to the Carbon Fund for a Sustainable Economy. The calculation of CO2 emissions follows the methodology recommended by the Spanish government. The economic viability of the cases analyzed is calculated, first without taking into account the money obtained from the carbon market, and then taking advantage of the sale of the emissions. The interest value of this work is the examination of how low incomes tend to be overrepresented in social housing, resulting in lower energy consumption and colder dwellings. Since low income tenants under-consume energy, before renovation CO2 emissions are lower, and therefore Alokabide is taking less advantage of the carbon market. Additionally, photovoltaic systems, while easier to implement even at district level, are not eligible in the Spanish program, and this is also disadvantageous. In the policy recommendations, the ex-ante accounting of emissions should be justified on the basis of theoretical energy consumption with average consumers, rather than verifying ex-post actual emissions by low income household that under consume: energy efficiency measures lead to improved thermal comfort, and this added benefit should be taken into account in the economic viability. Toward the goal of reducing emissions after retrofitting, decarbonization is more feasible than the reduction of the energy consumption through the substitution of fossil fuels by renewables to satisfy primary energy needs.

Contesting “inclusive” development: Reactions to slum resettlement as social inclusion in Tamesna, Morocco

Since 2004, Moroccan authorities have promoted the development of new cities to provide affordable housing to low-income residents. A major objective of this policy is to provide a site for the resettlement of slum residents. As policymakers justify poverty alleviation and social inclusion to advance their agenda, residents facing displacement have shown substantial resistance to these resettlement programs. Tamesna, the second new city established under this policy, was mainly established to provide a resettlement site for approximately three thousand households living in informal settlements in the surrounding rural commune of Sidi Yahya Zaer (SYZ). Only two-thirds of the households had resettled in summer 2017, and the resettlement process was delayed as some residents refused to participate. This paper questions the factors that influenced the refusal of many households to participate in the resettlement process that was ostensibly designed to meet their housing needs. Using a combination of ethnography, archive review and interviews with the local population, and housing developers, the paper examines the different circumstances and factors that shape residents' reactions to the resettlement process. We conclude that the residents' demands for inclusion diverge from and transcend the authorities' plans for social housing provision in the new city of Tamesna.

Minimization of corruption risks in the process of ensuring the constitutional right to housing through state and local budget programs (domestic and foreign experience)

In any society, to meet the housing need, there is a set of conditions for its implementation, which all together form the housing system, but in no society at the appropriate level, this problem is not completely solved. It is established that preferential provision of housing for citizens is carried out through mechanisms: providing citizens with affordable housing; provided for the implementation of state, regional and local housing programs for certain categories of the population; provision of social housing to socially vulnerable segments of the population. Preferential provision of housing for citizens is carried out through mechanisms: providing citizens with affordable housing; provided for the implementation of state, regional and local housing programs for certain categories of the population; providing social housing to socially vulnerable groups. Execution of state housing programs may be subject to corruption risks during their implementation, and officials responsible for their implementation may be subject to corruption offenses in the performance of their official duties. In the process of implementing housing programs, anti-corruption measures should begin with the development of directions, strategies and programs, which should include collecting reliable data on the problem, developing effective implementation mechanisms, detailed analysis and monitoring of the results with public participation, legal examination of draft regulations for their compliance with anti-corruption legislation. Local authorities play an important role in providing housing for citizens. Іmplementation of housing programs in our country usually has a 2-tier structure: central and local, local governments often only act as intermediaries between the central government and the main housing sectors.

Millennials and the contested urban legacy of post-war modernist social housing in the UK

ABSTRACT Attitudes to the European modernist social housing experiments of the 1950s and 1960s are complicated and contested. Once derided as a failed and elitist social project, over the last two decades, there has been growing appreciation of the design principles and ethos of the post-war Architecture of Social Intent (AOSI), assisted by a proactive programme of national conservation protection. In this paper, we reflect on a university action research project to explore what the AOSI might mean to a younger “millennial” generation. Using an undergraduate action-research project from the UK, we explore millennials responses to the idea of the AOSI but also the perceptions of the welfare state associated with it and the state’s changing role in social housing provision. The paper makes a distinctive contribution to the growing literature on changing perceptions of modernist heritage, making a case for wider public engagement with urban change and design aesthetics.

Social impact measurement in social housing: a theory-based investigation into the context, mechanisms and outcomes of implementation

PurposeEnglish social housing providers are increasingly turning to social impact measurement to assess their social value. This paper aims to understand the contextual factors causing this rise in the practice, specifically within this sector; the mechanisms that enable it to be effectively implemented within an individual organisation and the outcomes of successful implementation for individual organisations and more widely across the sector and beyond.Design/methodology/approachA realist theory-based approach is applied to the study of a small number of social housing organisations and leaders within the sector to explore the use of social impact measurement. The paper addresses three questions: Why is social impact measurement being adopted in this sector? How is it successfully implemented? And what happens (outcomes) when it is successfully implemented? Addressing these questions necessitates deeper insight into the contextual pressures that have brought to the fore social impact measurement within the sector and the beneficial outcomes the practice provides (or is anticipated to provide) to social housing providers. The methodological approach of Realist Evaluation (Pawson and Tilley, 1997, 2004) is used to structure and analyse the empirical data and findings into a programme theory for social impact measurement. Realist Evaluation provides a programme theory perspective, seeking to answer the question “what works, for whom and in what circumstances?”. In this research, the “whom” refers to English social housing providers and the circumstances are the contextual conditions experienced by the sector over the past decade. The programme theory aims to set out the links between the contextual drivers for social impact measurement, the mechanisms that bring about its implementation and the outcomes that occur as a result. Within this, greater detail on the implementation perspective is provided by developing an implementation theory using a Theory of Change approach (Connellet al., 1995; Fulbright-Andersonet al., 1998). The implementation theory is then embedded within the wider programme theory so as to bring the two elements together, thereby creating a refinement of the overall theory for social impact measurement. In turn, this paper demonstrates its importance (the outcomes that it can achieve for organisations and the sector) and how it can effectively be implemented to bring about those outcomes.FindingsSocial housing providers use social impact measurement both internally, to determine their organisational priorities and externally, to demonstrate their value to local and national governments and cross-sector partners then to shape and influence resource allocation. The practice itself is shown to be an open and active programme, rather than a fixed calculative practice.Research limitations/implicationsThe intensive nature of the research means that only a limited number of cases were explored. Further research could test theories developed here against evidence collected from a wider range of cases, e.g. other types of providers or non-adopters.Practical implicationsThe research makes a strong contribution to practice in the form of a re-conceptualisation of how social impact measurement can be shown to be effective, based on a deeper understanding of causal mechanisms, how they interact and the outcomes that result. This is of value to the sector as such information could help other organisations both to understand the value of social impact measurement and to provide practical guidance on how to implement it effectively.Social implicationsAs the practice of impact measurement continues to develop, practitioners will need to be aware of any changes to these contextual factors and consider questions such as: is the context still supportive of impact measurement? Does the practice need to be adjusted to meet the needs of the current context? For instance, the recent tragedy at Grenfell Tower has led to a reconsideration of the role of social housing; a new Green Paper is currently being drafted (Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government, 2018). This may have a number of implications for social impact measurement, such as a rebalancing of emphasis on outcomes relating to environmental improvements, towards outcomes relating to the well-being of tenants.Originality/valueExisting literature is largely limited to technical guides. This paper links theory-based evaluation to practice contributing to social housing practice.

Intervening in the cycle of poverty, poor housing and poor health: the role of housing providers in enhancing tenants\u2019 mental wellbeing

Poverty, poor housing and poor health are complexly interconnected in a cycle that has proven resistant to intervention by housing providers or policy makers. Research often focuses on the impacts of the physical housing defects, particularly upon rates of (physical) illness and disease. There has been comparatively little research into the ways in which housing services can underpin the generation of positive health and, especially, wellbeing. Drawing on qualitative data from 75 tenants in the social and private rented sectors, this paper describes the findings of a research project that tracked tenants’ experiences across their first year in a new tenancy in Greater Glasgow, Scotland. The project collected data on tenants’ perceptions of housing and housing service quality, financial coping and health and wellbeing, which was analysed using the principles of Realist Evaluation to elucidate impacts and causal pathways. Being able to establish a sense of home was key to tenants’ wellbeing. The home provided many tenants with a recuperative space in which to shelter from daily stressors and was a source of autonomy and social status. A sense of home was underpinned by aspects of the housing service, property quality and affordability which are potentially amenable to intervention by housing providers. These findings raise questions about the extent to which social housing providers and the private rental market in the UK are able to meet the needs of vulnerable tenants. They suggest that approaches to housing provision that go beyond providing a basic dwelling are needed to successfully intervene in the cycle of poverty, poor housing and poor health.

The role of institutions in social housing provision: salutary lessons from the South

This paper examines third sector social housing in early post-apartheid South Africa, hence offering important new insights into how institutions in emerging economies shape the implementation and impacts of this approach. Based on qualitative research methods, the paper finds that under conditions of weak formal governance, nascent industry capacity and disaffected communities, third sector social housing resulted in serious project failures and squandered public resources. The study employs an institutional lens to understand how formal and informal institutions shaped the implementation of projects and how key stakeholders acted upon conflicting incentives. It discusses five major factors – inadequate formal policy and regulatory framework, limited government capability and support, limited sector capacity, private finance reluctance and adverse informal arrangements – that caused serious difficulties both at the program and project level. The paper argues that developing robust third sector social housing comes with substantial financial, administrative and political responsibilities for governments, and its success depends on the alignment between the formal policy framework and informal institutions.

“When We Do Evict Them, It’s a Last Resort”: Eviction Prevention in Social and Affordable Housing

ABSTRACT Evictions are a common contributing factor to homelessness and are experienced overwhelmingly by vulnerable populations, including low-income households, single parents, and minority groups. At the same time, social and affordable housing providers serve increasingly vulnerable populations. Although all evictions are potentially problematic, those that occur in social and affordable housing can carry particularly severe consequences. Little research exists on evictions in social and affordable housing, and there is even less on eviction prevention practices in this sector. This project seeks to fill this research gap by exploring emerging eviction prevention practices in social and affordable housing in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Our findings show that evictions are a complicated process for both tenants and housing providers, and most commonly occur because of rent arrears. Housing providers try to prevent evictions, and toward this end, they have adopted four broad eviction prevention practices, centered on financial management, regular communication with tenants, provision of tenant supports, and community development. However, housing providers are often constrained in their ability to prevent evictions, in particular by human resource and financial limitations. These challenges lead to complex negotiations between housing providers’ social mandates to provide affordable housing to vulnerable households and their regulatory and operational environments.

Housing Vienna: The Socio-Spatial Effects of Inclusionary and Exclusionary Mechanisms of Housing Provision

The provision of housing plays a decisive role in segregation processes. In a European context increasingly influenced by variegated neo-liberal housing policies, Vienna’s approach is characterised by generous access to social housing. This inclusive strategy aims at actively preventing segregation and the isolation of certain groups. Over the last 30 years, however, reconfigured multi-level arrangements and wider contextual changes have transformed Vienna’s housing governance. This article explores how. In particular, it aims at disentangling the relationship between housing policy reforms at multiple policy levels and the changes of the mechanisms shaping the access to tenure segments and residential segregation in Vienna. Through the use of process tracing, we identify critical junctures of housing governance and relate them to housing segmentation and segregation measures over a period of approximately 30 years. Our findings show that reforms on multiple levels produce an increasingly deregulated private rental market and an increasingly fragmented access to a diversified provision of social housing. From a spatial point of view, persistent patterns of segregation blend with new ones, leading to decreasing segregation characterised by a more even spatial distribution of low and high-status groups. At the same time, both groups show very low, but slightly increased levels of isolation. Tenant profiles in social housing are, however, generally still very mixed. Balancing the trade-off between a social mix and social targeting without excluding residents in need will remain the main challenge for Vienna’s social housing model.

The governance of affordable housing in post-crisis Amsterdam and Miami

Although academic scholarship has addressed how city governments have responded to declining housing affordability in the aftermath of crisis, few studies have done so from a comparative perspective. Filling this gap in the literature, this paper studies two distinctive, but nevertheless commonly ‘unaffordable’ city contexts: Amsterdam and Miami. First, it reconstructs how both cities responded differently to otherwise common housing challenges by prioritizing public interventionist (Amsterdam) and public entrepreneurial (Miami) housing strategies. Second, it unravels how the underlying logics and market outcomes of both approaches have nevertheless become similar. To varying degrees, both cases reveal a (i) progressive shift in social housing provision from lower income groups towards middle-income groups, and (ii) the increased importance of market logics within the affordable housing sector at large. Despite good intentions, the paper concludes that both cities struggle with addressing affordable housing needs in what are, after all, neoliberal housing contexts. In the absence of greater state commitments, local willingness to contest housing financialization runs into the limits of affordable housing governance.

The housing crisis in Australia and New Zealand: A comparative analysis through policy lenses

Housing affordability is a prominent issue across the world. There is a growing concern that the number of people experiencing homelessness is rapidly increasing. As a solution, many countries, including Australia and New Zealand, have introduced housing policies aimed at providing affordable houses to low-to-medium income families. Over recent years, several affordable housing policies have been introduced in both Australia and New Zealand, including public housing initiatives, rental subsidies, accommodation supplements, state housing programmes and the provision of social housing. New Zealand launched the KiwiBuild programme in 2018 to increase housing affordability. Unfortunately, in 2019, KiwiBuild was unable to deliver its targeted primary objectives set by the Government. This study features a comparative analysis, primarily focusing on comparing and contrasting affordable housing policies in Australia and New Zealand. Subsequently, it discusses the reasons why the KiwiBuild programme failed. It makes recommendations based on policies used in Australia with a view to improving affordable housing policies in New Zealand. This research contributes and adds to the existing body of knowledge about affordable housing policies in both Australia and New Zealand. The recommendations will be helpful for future researchers who wish to develop workable policies to assist with affordable housing-related issues in New Zealand.

Housing options for women leaving domestic violence: the limitations of rental subsidy models

Domestic and family violence is the leading cause of female homelessness, yet social housing provision has declined in Anglophone countries like Australia and housing policy responses favour demand-side subsidies to assist with rental payments. We examine the consequences of ‘choice-based’ approaches in competitive housing markets, applying a theoretical discussion of how the neoliberal subject is supposed to respond to external shocks in an adaptive and resilient manner, and problematise assumptions that subsidies provide ‘choice’. The paper is based on findings from an [Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute-funded research project]. Analysis suggests that private market rental subsidies work well in some areas and not so well in others, depending on local housing market conditions. In some cases, women have returned to violent situations because they perceive no alternative. These findings suggest that the positing of ‘choice’ for women is rhetorical rather than real because it is conditioned by the ability to compete in high-cost private rental markets.

Urban regulation and diverse housing supply: An Investigative Panel

This research examined the barriers and challenges within the housing system for delivering housing supply that is more diverse in terms of size and built form; tenure; development model; and affordability level.

Impact Evaluation of the Provision of Social Housing on the Use of Social Services by Homeless People in the Czech Republic

The Czech Republic has recently experienced a growing number of homeless people, which leads to the need to evaluate the impact of social housing on the living conditions of its users. At present, there is no existing law on social housing in the Czech Republic and the agenda of assistance to the homeless is thus carried out mainly by social services. For these reasons, the paper intends to evaluate the impact of social housing on the homeless in the Czech Republic in a specific area of the use of social services. Based on a quantitative research survey of 147 social housing dwellers after moving in and after 12 months, the impact of social housing on the use of social services was determined, which was put into context with the trend of using social work services in social housing. Research results show that the provision of social housing leads to an overall decrease of the social work utilization and (possible) increase in client self-sufficiency, which can result in strong economic impacts of social housing in the form of savings on social work provision.

Exploring collaboration within social housing retrofit practice for an ageing population: a single case study in the West of Scotland

PurposeSustainably addressing the social and economic demands from an ageing population is a major global challenge, with significant implications for policy and practice. This is resultant of the increasing demand for housing adaptations to prevent increased pressure upon acute health services. Through the lens of institutional theory, this paper aims to explore the levels of joined-up retrofit practice within a Scottish social housing provider, under a constructivist approach.Design/methodology/approachAn exploratory single case study of a Scottish local authority was undertaken. Within this, nine key stakeholders were interviewed, taking a hierarchical approach, from director to repair and maintenance staff. Results were analysed by using Braun and Clarke’s six stages of thematic analysis.FindingsThere is a need for greater levels of integration within retrofit practice to not only improve the health and well-being of the older population but also increase efficiency and economic savings within public services. Currently, there are key issues surrounding silo-based decision-making, poor data infrastructure, power struggles and a dereliction of built environment knowledge and expertise, preventing both internal and external collaboration. However, housing, energy and health have interlinking agendas which are integral to achieving ageing in place. Therefore, there must be system-wide recognition of the potential benefits of improved cross-sector collaboration, preventing unintended consequences whilst providing socioeconomic outcomes.Originality/valueThis research provides a new perspective surrounding retrofit practice within the context of an ageing population. It highlights the requirement for improved cross sector collaboration and the social and economic cost of poor quality practice.

Mass Customization for Social Housing in Evolving Neighborhoods in Brazil

Mass customization is being adopted in many housing contexts worldwide to provide families with dwellings that suit their individual needs at costs similar to mass-produced items. However, in many social housing contexts, there are barriers that can hinder the adoption of mass customization, despite the benefits it could bring to residents. This is the case in the Brazilian social housing context considering house units for families of the lowest income range. This paper explores the possibilities and limitations of applying mass customization in this context to improve the living conditions in these neighborhoods as they evolve over time. This study analyzes the ecology of the system of provision of social housing for the lowest income range, pre-occupancy, and post-occupancy in the neighborhood’s development over time. This study argues that it would be more feasible and bring more and longer-lasting benefits to the stakeholders involved if mass customization were applied post-occupancy.

The elusive quest for social diversity: Public housing, diversity, and politics in France

This paper shows that social housing supply affects population diversity and that electoral incentives matter for the provision of social rental units at the local level. Using a nationwide policy reform imposing on French municipalities to increase their stocks of social dwellings, I find that there is a positive causal relationship between policy implementation, affordable housing supply and social diversity in the Greater Paris region. The impact of the policy is heterogeneous across municipality characteristics. Richer and more politically right-wing oriented municipalities build fewer new social housing units. I provide evidence that electoral incentives can explain part of the impact heterogeneity found. Conservative mayor re-election is threatened by the arrival of new public housing residents with different political preferences as well as by dissatisfaction with housing policy implementation among incumbent conservative voters. The findings imply that local government incentives might affect the implementation of affordable housing policies. This paper contributes to the limited body of evidence on the political economy of social housing provision.

Past, Present, and Future of Social Housing in Seoul: Where Is Social Housing Heading to?

In Seoul, a metropolitan city, affordable housing is a major issue. Since 2012, social housing has been implemented as a means to solve housing shortages in the South Korean capital. Various policies in different times have been applied, and Seoul came up with a unique form of social housing: providing housing to those in need. The purpose of this paper is to review the development of social housing in Seoul and to discuss policy implications. First, this paper defines the concept of social housing in Seoul by comparing that of social housing in Western countries. The major differences in the concept of social housing between Seoul and Western countries lies in the provider of social housing. The providers of social housing in Seoul are social economy actors, including non-private organizations and cooperative unions that work as agencies to pursue the public interest. In addition, this paper presents an overview of the historical development and specific features of social housing. Finally, a discussion is presented on the implications for social housings, including the need for the allocation of social housing throughout the city, the extended length of residence, and reliable financial support to social housing providers.

A new insight into the profitability of social housing in Australia: A Real Options approach

There is an acute shortage of social housing in Australia; hence, the supply of social housing needs to be increased. The government, however, lacks the necessary resources to adequately respond to this need. Additionally, the level of private institutional investment in social housing is currently low as social housing investments are perceived to be illiquid, high risk, and with low returns. Through a case study on a social housing renewal project in Garbutt, Townsville, Australia, this paper demonstrates that with the application of the Real Option approach, the profitability of the social housing project is actually significantly higher, compared to what they have been shown to be when traditional methods, such as the net present value, are used. This study offers new insight into the profitability of social housing, which has important implications for policymakers and private sector investors and is the first of its kind in the Australian social housing literature.

Interrogating the Administrative and Institutional framework of Social Security provisioning in Botswana Prospects and Challenges

This paper seeks to explore the administrative and institutional framework of social security provisioning in Botswana. It commences by locating social security within the socio political context. It then considers its cultural dimension. It then proceeds to consider the provision of indirect social services, health care, settlement and housing and then water and sanitation. Finally, it discusses the institutional framework upon which the above are based and prospects and challenges