Affordability for housing association tenants. A key issue for British social housing policy

Kearns, A. (1992) Affordability for housing association tenants. A key issue for British social housing policy. Journal of Social Policy, 21(4), pp. 525-549. (doi: 10.1017/S004727940002016X)

Abstract

As a result of changes to the financial regime for housing associations, affordability has become a major issue of debate in social rented housing in Britain. This paper assesses the implications of trying to construct a finance system for housing associations based on a regime of ‘affordable rents’ and the ‘safety net’ of Housing Benefits but with the state declining to define the central concept of affordability. Using examples of a number of Western countries, and empirical evidence from the sector in Scotland, the present position is criticised, and a route out of the policy vacuum is suggested. This is founded on the premise that housing is a means rather than an end, within a broader social policy. Given the political constraints, one solution lies in studies of the expenditure patterns and standards of living of different groups of housing association tenants, and in the creation of a sector-specific organisational subsidy to be available in addition to the usual producer- and consumer-subsidies.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Kearns, Professor Ade
• Authors: Kearns, A.
• College/School: College of Social Sciences > School of Social and Political Sciences > Urban Studies
• Journal Name: Journal of Social Policy
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• ISSN: 0047-2794
• ISSN (Online): 1469-7823
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 1992 Cambridge University Press
• First Published: First published in Journal of Social Policy 21(4):625
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher