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Social Housing Sustainability in Turbulent Times: A Case Study

Social Housing Sustainability in Turbulent Times: A Case Study. Steve Page, Paul Webb & Roy Williams. The ubiquitous opening quote …

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Social Housing Sustainability in Turbulent Times: A Case Study

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  1. Social Housing Sustainability in Turbulent Times: A Case Study Steve Page, Paul Webb & Roy Williams

  2. The ubiquitous opening quote … • “Voluntary tenant participation is fundamental to the development and well-being of a democratic, socially inclusive society and must be valued and properly supported” (DETR, 1999, p. 13)

  3. Agenda • Background to Social Housing • One Vision Housing • Context of the research • Adopted Approach • Findings • Analysis • Preliminary implications • Conclusions • Quo vadis … • Q&A

  4. Background to Social Housing - 1 • Since 1919, local authorities have been required by law to provide council housing (Lloyd George's "Homes fit for Heroes" campaign) sparked by poor physical condition of army recruits. • Clement Attlee's post-war Labour government built more than a million homes, 80% of which were council houses, largely to replace those destroyed by Hitler. • Then … giving council tenants the opportunity to buy the homes they were living in - at a generous discount - was one of the defining policies of the Thatcher era (circa 1980). Two million (many of them labour voters, did).

  5. Background to Social Housing - 2 • New Labour (late 90s Blair) was an enthusiastic champion of ‘right to buy’ and home ownership in general. Helping working people to get a foot on the property ladder. • But … the "right-to-buy" phenomenon had led to a massive depletion in council housing stock … council housing estates were fast becoming the accommodation of last resort for those left behind by society, as families on middle incomes sold up and moved out. • Then … the near collapse of the banking system in 2008 ended the hopes of many on average incomes of ever owning their own homes. (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14380936)

  6. Housing Associations • Private, non-profit making • Operating surplus used to maintain existing properties & buy new stock • Existed since 19th century • Many local councils have transferred their stock to housing associations over the last decade or so to save money • Housing associations are run as private enterprises … but are heavily regulated

  7. Timeline …

  8. One Vision Housing (OVH) • Formed in 2006 with stock transfer from Sefton Council • Currently over 11,500 homes in stock • Multi-award winning, including 2012 & 2013 Sunday Times “Best company to work for” • Mission – to be the: • Best employer • Best landlord • Best business • Best investor in communities • Values – commitment to: • Success – we will be the best • Passion – we love what we do • Authenticity – we do what we say we will do • Courage – we dare to be different • Enterprise – we never stand still

  9. Context of the Research • OVH work with their Scrutiny Panel and Resident Inspectors to continuously review services and ensure they are striving for excellence in resident care … but how else might OVH improve to better meet the needs of their tenants? • We decided to start at the top with their Board • Board = 4 independents, 2 council nominees & 4 tenants • Research question “How can tenant Board members add extra value to OVH?” • Funded research – 50% UoC & 50% OVH

  10. Adopted Approach • Single case study (Yin, 2008) • Interviews (eight) with Board members – both tenants and non-tenants • Interviews (three) with OVH managers closely allied to tenant activities • Two focus group meetings – • Resident Involvement Team • Scrutiny Team

  11. Findings - 1 • Focus groups also highlighted the importance of: • Tenant perspective & feedback • Expertise on customer service • Meeting OVHs strategic aims (not mentioned by interviewees)

  12. Findings - 2 • Focus groups also highlighted the importance of: • What works (& what doesn’t) • (dis)satisfaction with services • Customer perspective • Representing the tenant population

  13. Findings - 3 • Focus groups also highlighted the importance of: • Each & every one of the six factors discussed by the interviewees

  14. Findings - 4 • Focus groups also highlighted the importance of: • Each & every one of the six factors discussed by the interviewees except “improve policy development & implementation”

  15. Findings - 5 • Focus groups also highlighted the importance of: • Community building; 2. Trust building; 3. Tenant inspection & scrutiny; • Tenant decision-making; 5. Tenant engagement

  16. Findings - 6 Focus groups did not mention any other roles for tenant board members

  17. Analysis - 1 • Main role and contribution of tenants on the Board appears to be to give the Board a tenant “perspective” & feedback on services (Scott et al., 2001) • Tenants add value to the OVH Board in a number of ways: • Feedback about services (Simmons & Birchall, 2007) • Free expertise (van Vugt, et al.. 2000) • Improve efficiency & accountability (Spink, 1998) • Customer focus (Housing Corporation, 2000) • Improve board decision making (Fraser & Gibson, 1991) • Drive strategy (Kelly & Clarke, 1997)

  18. Analysis - 2 • Tenant Board members add value to OVH in a number of other ways, i.e. not directly at the Board level: • Develop "Good-Neighbour" schemes (ODPM, 2002) • Helping to celebrate important events (ODPM, 2002) • Charity fund-raising • Community building (Simmons & Birchall, 2007) • Trust building (Tunstall, 2001)

  19. Analysis - 3 • Continued … • Tenant inspectors & scrutiny • Tenant decision making (Millward, 2005) • Tenant engagement (Cooper & Hawtin, 1998) • Targeted tenant involvement • Improving training • Maintaining OVH’s Philanthropy • Succession planning (Jordan & Maloney, 1996)

  20. Preliminary Implications • 81% of housing associations believe they will be adversely affected by the introduction of direct payments to tenants (Ipsos MORI, 2013). Tenant engagement & participation can be used to minimise impact for OVH. • “Bedroom tax” (Welfare Reform Act, 2012) Government’s impact assessment shows that those affected will lose an average of £14 a week. Housing association tenants are expected to lose £16 a week on average. Affects an estimated 660,000 working-age social tenants – 31% of existing working-age housing benefit claimants in the social sector. http://www.housing.org.uk/policy/welfare_reform/%E2%80%98under-occupation%E2%80%99_penalty.aspxOVH do not have enough one bedroom houses, but they can work with tenants to minimise impact & help with finding suitable alternative accommodation.

  21. Conclusions • OVH’s Board consists of 40% tenant members • Research question: “How can tenant board members add extra value to OVH?” • Findings indicate that the main role & contribution of tenant board members is giving a tenant “perspective” & “feedback” on service – encourages engagement • Tenant involvement & engagement can be used by OVH to minimise the impact of the “bedroom tax” & direct payments to tenants (Welfare Reform Act, 2012)

  22. Quo Vadis? • Working with OVH looking at how tenants can inform & develop strategy? • Further work on tenant engagement with OVH? • Further work on tenants/value-added beyond OVH, i.e. across the sector? • Something else … ? • One thing is for sure – we will definitely be doing more “housing” research

  23. References Cooper, C. & Hawtin, M. (1998) An introduction to understanding ‘resident involvement’, in: C. Cooper & M. Hawtin(Eds) Resident Involvement and Community Action: Theory to Practice, Coventry: Chartered Institute of Housing). DETR (1999) Developing Good Practice in Tenant Participation, London: DETR. Fraser, R. & Gibson, M. (1991) It’s a Better Way of Working: Tenant Participation in Housing Associations, London: NFHA. Housing Corporation (2000) Communities in Control, London: Housing Corporation. Ipsos-MORI (2012) Impact Of Welfare Reform On Housing Associations – 2012 Baseline Report: For the National Housing Federation. Available at: http://www.ipsos-mori.com/Assets/Docs/Publications/sri-housing-impact-of-welfare-reform-on-has-baseline-2012.pdf. Kelly, M. & Clarke, C. (1997) Good Practice Manual on Tenant Participation, London: Women’s Design Service.

  24. References Millward, L. (2005) ‘Just because we are amateurs doesn’t mean we aren’t professional’: the importance of expert activists in tenant participation, Public Administration, 83, pp. 735–751. ODPM (Office of the Deputy Prime Minister) (2002) Evaluation of Tenant Management Organisations in England, London: ODPM. Scott, S., Currie, H., Fitzpatrick, S., Pawson, H., Kintrea, K., Rosengard, A. & Tate, J. (2001) Good Practice in Housing Mangement: A Review of the Literature, Edinburgh: Scottish Executive. Simmons, R. & Birchall, J. (2007) Tenant Participation and Social Housing in the UK: Applying a Theoretical Model, Housing Studies, 22:4, 573-595. Spink, B. (1998) Housing management 1800 to 2000: a practice in search of a policy, in: C. Cooper & M. Hawtin (Eds) Resident Involvement and Community Action: Theory to Practice. Coventry: Chartered Institute of Housing. Tunstall, R. (2001) Devolution and user participation in public services: how they work and what they do, Urban Studies, 38, pp. 2495–2514.

  25. References van Vugt, M., Snyder, M., Tyler, T. R. & Biel, A. (Eds) (2000) Cooperation in Modern Society, London: Routledge. Wheeler, B. (2011), What future for social housing? Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-14380936 Yin, R. K. (2008), Case Study Research: Design and Methods, 4th Edition, London: Sage Publications.

  26. Questions?

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