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Community Cohesion or Social Engineering?

Community Cohesion or Social Engineering?. Andy Steele Salford Housing & Urban Studies Unit University of Salford. 25 th March 2010. Outline. Background to the Community Induction Programme (CIP) CIP in action – Rochdale & Oldham Project evaluation approach Emerging issues

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Community Cohesion or Social Engineering?

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  1. Community Cohesion or Social Engineering? Andy Steele Salford Housing & Urban Studies Unit University of Salford 25th March 2010

  2. Outline • Background to the Community Induction Programme (CIP) • CIP in action – Rochdale & Oldham • Project evaluation approach • Emerging issues • Best practice – what works & why? • CIP or social engineering?

  3. Background to CIP • Response to housing pressure in traditional BME areas: • High level of overcrowding & property disrepair • Long waiting lists for traditional areas • Low priority among BME community for non-traditional areas • Previous ‘poor experience of BME households moving to non-traditional areas

  4. CIP in Rochdale - overview • Bellshill Estate • Adjacent to traditional BME area • Low demand & relatively high void rate • Allocation to several void properties to be let at the same time • Targeted BME households on HWL from traditional areas • Provision of support to assist ‘move’ and settlement on estate

  5. CIP in Rochdale - Support • Tailored rather than generic approach: • Support included: • Personal interviews with potential movers • Accompanies viewings of property • Practical assistance to move home • Provision of key staff contact details • Provision of information about community facilities/services • Regular ‘progress’ checks • 45 households supported by Summer 2009 (predominantly Asian)

  6. CIP in Oldham • Developed from Rochdale initiative • Boroughwide initiative • Linked to tackling hate crime/racial harassment • Support package: • Accompanied viewings • Security surveys of properties • On-going support for initial 8 weeks then ad hoc • Regular advice surgeries • Out of hours support service for victims of racial harassment • Ad hoc contact via FCHO staff 142 families ‘supported’ by 2004/5

  7. Evaluation Approach • Focus on Bellshill (Rochdale) & Chadderton (Oldham) • 3 phases: • Familiarisation with scheme documentation • Interviews with scheme staff • Interviews with residents: • ‘Supported’ households • Long-standing residents of study areas • ‘Supported’ households who had moved-on

  8. Emerging issues • Responding to BME housing needs • Initial experience of movers • Longer-term impact of CIP & transformation of non-traditional areas • Contribution to community cohesion • Successful?

  9. Best practice • Issues for consideration: • Strategic management vs ‘laissez faire’ • Single vs multiple BME communities • Choice of area – size & geography • Individual household vs ‘collective’ move • Preparing the ‘host’ community • Responding to hate crime & racial harassment • Flexible support package • Development of community-based activities • CIP & different tenures

  10. CIP or Social Engineering? CIP raises a number of fundamental questions? • How different is CIP to ‘red lining’ among Birmingham estate agents in 1980s? • Is social engineering part of the professional role of housing officers? • Does social engineering contradict CBL? • Does the end justify the means: • increase BME housing options • contribution to community integration? • Who takes responsibility if it fails? • Whose definition of a ‘mixed’ community?

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