The Future Roles of Social Housing in England

Housing is central to the quality of life in our communities, to fulfilling people’s aspirations, to the economy and to the environment. Substantial progress has been made since 1997 and we must continue to deliver, for example on increases in the overall supply of housing. But the Secretary of State also wishes to step back and ask what role social housing can play in 21^st Century housing policy.

Specific questions to be asked include:

• Is social housing the most appropriate response for all those presented as in housing need? Who should social housing be for?

• To what extent should social housing contribute to other objectives whilst also continuing to play a vital role in responding to need? Other possible objectives include:

  • helping create genuinely mixed communities;

  • encouraging social mobility and opportunities, including in the labour market, for people to get on in their lives;

  • being more responsive to changing needs and enabling greater geographical mobility.

• What are the possible trade-offs between these different objectives and how could they be reconciled?

These questions need to be addressed in the context of:

• the CSR Reviews, the Barker Review, the Housing and Regeneration Review and Michael Lyons’s Review of Local Government;

• the need to make the best use of existing assets given the unavoidable constraints on public expenditure;

• the high demand subsidised accommodation, significant levels of unmet need and the impact this is having on the housing stock; and

• ensuring effective community participation in changes that affect their homes and communities.

Remit:

• to carry out an independent assessment covering the above issues;

• to participate in a programme of events to be organised by the CIH to give a range of organisations and individuals an opportunity to input into the assessment, and to report on the ideas put forward;

• the assessment will assess different objectives and implications for the direction of travel on reform, but will not make specific detailed policy recommendations;

• to report to the Secretary of State by the end of December 2006.