140 likes | 318 Views
Aims of Social Housing. Social justicea decent home for all at a price they can afford'Economic rationalesCounter market failure affordability and supplyCounter effects of residulaisationRegeneration housing and wider challengesMixed communities?Meet challenges of current and future tena
E N D
1. Key Determinants of Performance in the Scottish Housing Association Sector Daniel Pace, PhD Researcher, Department of Urban Studies, University of Glasgow
2. Aims of Social Housing Social justice
‘a decent home for all at a price they can afford’
Economic rationales
Counter market failure – affordability and supply
Counter effects of residulaisation
Regeneration – housing and wider challenges
Mixed communities?
Meet challenges of current and future tenant base – younger and more vulnerable? – more options needed but finance limited
3. Why housing associations? Avoid perceived ‘public sector failure’
More entrepreneurial and innovative – but independence compromised by levels of regulation?
More locally-focussed and responsive to service users
Recent studies have shown housing associations to be better performers than local authority landlords (Scottish Government, 2009)
4. Scotland’s Housing Association Sector 217 RSLs
270,000 homes and 5,000 bedspaces
Different types of association
Community-based (80% of HAs have less than 2,000 units – 1/3 of total stock)
National (operating in several areas)
Stock transfer
Specialist (providing for elderly and disabled persons)
Investment programme for 2010/11 - £471 million
5. Scotland’s Housing Association Sector 2 Regulated by the Scottish Housing Regulator (SHR)
Single regulator for LAs and HAs
No more cyclical inspections for HAs
Performance standards to be revised – Scottish Social Housing Charter
Other regulators include Care Commission, Charities Regulator,local authorities (particularly in Edinburgh and Glasgow)
Subject to Scottish Government targets – 2015: quality standard (including emissions), 2012: homelessness target
6. Perspectives on performance:1. New Public Management Introduced by Thatcher governments to address perceived deficiencies in public service delivery
Main approaches
Increased management control of budgets, benchmarking, transfer of power to managers and service users
Decentralisation of services – e.g. stock transfer
HA sector: regulation, performance returns, internal performance management and benchmarking – overall aims = efficiency, effectiveness & economy
…but do PIs reflect tenants’ actual experiences?
7. Perspectives on performance:2. Government Policy Aims Increase supply of affordable housing – difficult in current climate – some innovations in finance
High levels of public subsidy (£471M 2010/11) – need for effective regulation
Ensure that properties meet quality and emissions standards – SHQS by 2015
Address concerns regarding the performance and efficiency of RSLs (SHR, 2009)
HAs used as vehicles for wider regeneration of disadvantaged communities – set to increase in the future?
8. Perspectives on performance:3. Private Finance Need to meet borrowing repayments – HAs forced to work within budgets
Need to secure new/continued borrowing – HAs forced to demonstrate efficiency – business plans
Lenders a stakeholder and a determinant of performance
Effective regulation needed to ensure continued access to lending
9. Perspectives on performance:4. Tenants Performance means delivering on tenant priorities – quality, repairs, tackling ASB
Performance vital as lack of supply/choice limits tenants’ ability to choose another provider – cannot therefore be seen as true ‘consumers’
Should be seen as citizens – this requires…
Opportunities for participation?
Discontinuity?: HAs report difficulties in fostering tenant involvement but studies show tenants are interested in participation(McKee, 2008)
more than just opportunities to become board members
10. Framework of performance 1 Aim not to create an ‘ideal type’ HA that meets all performance goals
Framework designed to set out what is required from the sector as a whole
Housing management
Innovation and success in managing issues including repairs, rent arrears, ASB
Development and quality
Innovations in financing and developing/improving stock – finance, partnerships and mergers
11. Framework of performance 2 Wider regeneration
Involvement in successful and inclusive community projects and services
Tenant involvement
Innovative and successful ways of involving and consulting tenants regarding housing and other services (including co-op model)
Efficiency
Successful performance monitoring and benchmarking
Innovations in customer service
12. Determinants of Performance? Policy – including HAG system – more competition needed?
Regulation – effectiveness of new system?
Private lenders
Tenants – delivering on priorities - consultation and participation
Housing associations – good practice and innovation
Size and organisational type? – smaller orgs (better performance) vs larger orgs (economies of scale) – worth considering?
13. Key Literature Hills Review, 2007
Malpass, 2005
Newhaven Research, 2006
Walker & Murie, Housing Studies, 2004
Scottish Government: Firm Foundations, 2007 & tenant priorities study, 2009
SHR, Shaping up for improvement, 2009
Whitehead, in Gibb & O’Sullivan, 2003
Previous reviews of performance
Generally comparisons between LSVT orgs and former landlords (LAs, Scottish Homes etc)
E.g. Pawson et al, JRF, 2009
14. Discussion What about my Framework of Performance? – too wide?
Any other literature that may be helpful to my study?
Methods
Case studies of different types of association? – include focus groups with tenants?
Survey and statistical analysis of larger number of HAs?
Alternative methods?