Social Exclusion and Housing - Context and Challenges

SOCIAL EXCLUSION ONLY became part of the policy discourse in Britain during the 1990s and was placed at the top of the social policy agenda with the change of government in 1997, with their development of a Social Exclusion Unit.

This book is not intended to be read as a good practice guide, rather, it is meant to provide an overview of the main social trends and policy debates. The main aim is to inform housing practitioners and students of the key debates surrounding social exclusion/inclusion, and their importance in housing policy and practice. This is done through a mixture of recently completed research into issues such as inequality, marginalization and intervention in relation to housing provision, and a discussion of the bigger picture of how housing fits into the process of exclusion.

The introductory section of this book discusses the development of the concept of social exclusion, drawing on some of the most recent studies undertaken on the subject. Contrasting interpretations of poverty, inequality and social exclusion are associated with differing political ideologies and social theories; some of these from various parts of the political spectrum are examined here. The shift to “social exclusion” as a focus for action is related to the difficulty that EU member states had in acknowledging that “poverty” existed in their countries. The limitations of the concept of social exclusion are also given here: can it really be distinguished from poverty, deprivation and disadvantage? It is intended to be a comprehensive term embracing a range of social experiences but, in practice, exclusion from the labour force tends to be seen as the key indicator. Adequate housing is central to a person’s well-being, and poor housing has repercussions across a whole range of other aspects of life such as employment, physical and psychological health, social interaction and participation in education. Marginalization within the housing system is therefore a key factor in the social exclusion of particular groups within society.

Part 1 focuses on inequalities and social exclusion. An interrelationship is shown between stable secure employment and housing, hence access to work is a critical step in the homeless being able to find and maintain permanent accommodation. This needs to be seen also in a wider context of social security policy, economic and fiscal policy and labour market change in Britain. Part 2 details marginalization in the housing system. The experience of vulnerable groups are looked at in more detail and related to the wider socioeconomic issues; initiatives are critiqued and
opportunities and constraints examined. As an example, various socioeconomic disadvantages give rise to homelessness and homelessness also intensifies the experience of social exclusion, leading to a cycle of deprivation.

Part 3 looks at wider-scale exclusion, examining communities and neighbourhoods and the ways in which they have been marginalized through regeneration projects not taking into account unquantifiable aspects of community dynamics. Further chapters in this section deal with why there
is a lack of published literature or research on why houses in certain areas get abandoned, leading to the decline of communities, and how housing management policies and practices in the social housing sector may play a part in social exclusion. Policies and practices can be developed at a local level, which seek to overcome concentrations of disadvantaged households, and are particularly effective if
undertaken with a multi-agency approach. Part 4 covers how housing might contribute to social inclusion rather than exclusion, and
what constitutes a balanced community. Housing problems are embedded in the broader problems of neighbourhood and societal imbalance, yet although compartmentalized policies may not work, holistic approaches may also only address higher societal levels and not neighbourhood ones.
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