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“Balancing the books: Can housing associations afford to continue investing in communities?”

“Balancing the books: Can housing associations afford to continue investing in communities?” Dr P. A. Jones 17.04.14. OVERVIEW. Approaches to community investment Longitudinal research approach The importance of context Findings Tensions in the housing association sector

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“Balancing the books: Can housing associations afford to continue investing in communities?”

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  1. “Balancing the books: Can housing associations afford to continue investing in communities?” Dr P. A. Jones 17.04.14

  2. 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

  3. APPROACHES TO COMMUNITY INVESTMENT

  4. LONGITUDINAL RESEARCH APPROACH: INTEGRATED STRATEGY

  5. The importance of CONTEXT • Removal of all but highest level of regulation • Cuts in Government subsidy • Cuts to public services • Welfare Reform • The Localism Act

  6. 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

  7. 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 CI • More measurement of impact of CI • Closer partnering and sharing of resources to deliver CI • Priorities have not changed only approach to delivery • Strong leadership identified as important • Some refocus on individual tenants rather than community-wide; some parallel strategic working

  8. 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)

  9. TENSIONS IN THE HOUSING ASSOCIATION SECTOR

  10. Values into collaborative action Source: Author’s data analysis and interpretation

  11. 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

  12. 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

  13. Housing Associations – strategic action fields? (cont) • Role of the state • Creating 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?

  14. 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.

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