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“Balancing the books: Can housing associations afford to continue investing in communities?” Dr P. A. Jones 17.04.14
“Balancing the books: Can housing associations afford to continue investing in communities?”
Dr P. A. Jones17.04.14
OVERVIEW
Approaches to community investment Longitudinal research approach The importance of context Findings Tensions in the housing association sector Repositioning Value revision
A theory of fields Hypothesis
APPROACHES TO COMMUNITY INVESTMENT
CORE BUSINESS STRATEGY
NEIGHBOURHOODS
LONGITUDINAL RESEARCH APPROACH: INTEGRATED STRATEGY
Sector intelligence
SOUNDING BOARD
‘TOP 100’
CriticalFRIENDS’FORUM
DELPHI PANEL
Code No.
Region Stock Size
Restructuring Partnership Working
1 South/South West 34,000 Merging 4>1 HA consortium network/with TSOs to support community infrastructure
2 North West 14,000 Internal job losses CSR best practice groups/TSOs3 Yorkshire and
Humber21,500 Merging Community groups
LA/DWP/HAs/Colleges/Employers/Schools
4 South West 9000 Recently merged LAs/Police/Locality/TSOs/ Residents Groups5 North East 2250 Recent partnership Key LA partners/TSOs6 London/ SE/E Mids 38,000 Rationalised 4>1 National TSOs – partnering to avoid duplication6a7 London/S/E/W
England5000 Stable in rural
settingsNational TSOs
8 London/SE/W Mids 65,00012 HAs
History of increasing group structure
LAs/HAs/CVOs
9 East London 8500 Restructuring Community Empowerment network/HAs/community groups
9a10 West Midlands 9000 Stable TSOs/Job Centre+/LAs/service providers11 North West 18000 Product of merger
2010LAs/HAs/service providers/networks
The importance of CONTEXT
Removal of all but highest level of regulation Cuts in Government subsidyCuts to public services Welfare Reform The Localism Act
FINDINGS 2013: about community investment strategy in the housing association sector THE IMPORTANCE OF VALUES TO INDEPENDENT VALUE-LED BUSINESSES
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF ORGANISATIONAL CHANGE IN A FAST-MOVING CONTEXT
THE NEED FOR SUPPORT IN BALANCING TENSIONS AROUND INVESTMENT
THE DIVERSITY OF NEEDS BASED ON SIZE, LOCATION AND SPREAD
THE NEED FOR INSIGHT INTO THE WIDER SOCIO-ECONOMIC LANDSCAPE
THERE IS A NEED FOR UP-TO-DATE SECTOR-RELATED KNOWLEDGE & EXPERTISE
THE NEED TO LINK METHODS OF ASSESSMENT WITH THEIR PURPOSE
THAT PARTNERSHIP WORKING/LEADERSHIP ARE FUNDAMENTAL TO THE SECTOR
THE NEED FOR A FORUM WHERE GOOD PRACTICES CAN BE SHARED/DEVELOPED
FINDINGS 2014: about community investment strategy in the housing association sector
Values underpinning community investment located in bigger picture of Welfare Reform encompassing poverty, unemployment and social justice
More systemic approach to CIMore measurement of impact of CICloser partnering and sharing of resources to deliver CIPriorities have not changed only approach to deliveryStrong leadership identified as importantSome refocus on individual tenants rather than
community-wide; some parallel strategic working
Delphi Panel – early findings Still strong bias towards a social ethos/welfare orientation/community-led focus/community-wide as well as tenant-defined services Predominance towards ties with specific localities Noticeable increased interest in social enterprise Striking preference for setting own priorities as opposed to Government- led regulatory boundaries BUT
New partnership (including with local authorities) Declared leadership positions (e.g. Taking environmental responsibility)
“We are repositioning to have social justice at the heart of what we do “ (26D)
TENSIONS IN THE HOUSING ASSOCIATION SECTOR
Social case Business case
Values into collaborative
action
Values enacted within existing collaborations
Positioning and repositioning taking on new
roles
Resource distribution and decision-making
conflicting analysis and rationale
contextual barriers and drivers
New collaborations
Source: Author’s data analysis and interpretation
A theory of fields Fligstein & McAdam (2012)
to understand the nature of social change and social order brings together insights from social movement theory, organisational theory, economic and political sociology – theory of social organisation and strategic action
“strategic action fields” - concepts:
nested, embedded, connected, intermeshed, inter-dependent where all collective actors play incumbents and challengers – legitimised meaning making, sharing consensus,
collective identity social skilled actors internal governance units role of the state exogenous shocks episodes of contention periods of settlement
Housing Associations – strategic action fields?
Collaborative meaning making Employability and worklessness Affordable rental products Social value Social impact Diversification
Socially skilled actors (2012:112)
“skilled actors will manipulate the same symbols, identities and tactics that have proved successful in the past”
“The largest groups might still be able to impose an order, albeit one that is based on different principles”
“Those defending the status quo can accept a new order and adopt some new position in that order”
Governance units Tools and indicators
Housing Associations – strategic action fields? (cont)
Role of the stateCreating predictability and security Legitimising non-state strategic action fields Gradual withdrawal since 2010 – Big Society rhetoric
Contention and crisis Welfare Reform and PSR ‘biggest changes sector has experienced’
settlement more freedom to self-regulate routes to alternative finance and funding sense of crisis (e.g. Universal Credits delayed) averted Is there a period of readjustment to be identified between contention
and settlement?
Hypothesis
Because the state’s response to economic downturn has been one of withdrawal from non-state fields; the social housing sector, as a set of interconnected and nested strategic action fields, has been able to create new meaning to describe their role, values, function and identity. It has begun to self-regulate; reposition & self-define and take a greater leadership role within the neighbourhoods it operates. Within this the social case for community investment rationale has become part of the business case for the majority of housing providers.
