Housing

Housing pathways, homelessness, social housing, housing market renewal areas, and more.

Views expressed in the documents below are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of North West RSMP.

Migrants and housing in the UK: Experiences and impacts

C Vargas-Silva, Migration Observatory, 2011

This briefing reviews the statistical and research evidence on migrants' experiences in and impacts on the UK housing system.

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UK migration: The leadership role of housing providers

Joseph Rowntree Foundation, 2011

This report investigates the role of housing associations; studies the ways in which housing providers have already taken steps towards better neighbourhood cohesion and integration; explores perceived or actual competition between migrants and host communities for housing; and encourages housing providers who are well placed to act on these issues to support communities in the process of change caused by the effects of recent migration, which are here to stay.

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The unwanted: Social and cultural determinants of homelessness and alcohol abuse among Eastern European migrants in London

M Garapich, Roehampton University, 2010

This report seeks to identify the scale of the problem and explore the issue from the perspective of social anthropology, looking at homeless migrants' own accounts of how they live on the streets, and their perception of welfare.

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Homelessness among migrant groups: A survey of homelessness and refugee agencies across England

Homeless Link, 2010

This report explores the experiences of 160 organisations across England that provide support to migrants from Eastern Europe, asylum seekers, refugees and irregular migrants. The survey found evidence of rough sleeping by all of these groups across the nine English regions. Agencies were also working with migrants living in squats, nightshelters and various forms of other temporary and insecure accommodation. Factors leading to homelessness included people having no accommodation on arrival in the UK, the loss of private rented sector or accommodation tied to employment, immigration status issues and relationship breakdown. Two-thirds of the agencies surveyed said they saw migrants who were unable to work, while agencies also reported that they saw migrants working in a precarious situation – working cash in hand, on a short-term basis and sometimes illegally.

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Social housing allocation and immigrant communities

J Rutter and M Latorre, Equality and Human Rights Commission, 2009

Commissioned by the Equality and Human Rights Commission, this report is the result of an independent assessment of social housing allocation policy in the UK. Designed to examine the widespread perception that some groups have an unfair advantage in the allocation of social housing, this study asks three questions: who is entitled to social housing; who receives social housing in England; and do some groups have unfair access to social housing. Analysis of allocation policies showed no evidence that foreign migrants are favoured over UK citizens.

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Homelessness among A8 Nationals in the UK

C McNaughton, University of York, 2008

This paper reviews homelessness amongst A8 migrants, set in the context of single homelessness in the UK. In response to reports from frontline homelessness agencies of increasing numbers of homeless A8 nationals, this paper presents practical suggestions and examples of provisions established in response to this. It is based on a literature review, participation in national seminars and interviews with staff at homeless agencies in London and Glasgow. It concludes that careful consideration needs to be given to whether this group represents a “new” homelessness with problems compounded by misfortune and the migration process.

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Migration and social housing survey

Local Government Association, 2008

TNS UK Ltd were commissioned by the Local Government Association to conduct a survey amongst Heads of Housing Services across Local Authorities in England. The aim of the survey was to gather information on Local Authority allocation policies and to establish any issues or challenges that international migration presents to social housing in their respective localities. Despite the majority of authorities reporting a population growth in their area, international immigration was only mentioned as a challenge by 6% of them. Most authorities reported little effect on the demand for social housing, with the biggest impact facing the private sector.

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New immigrants and migrants in social housing in England

D Robinson, Local Government Association, 2008

Housing has been a central issue in debates on the social consequences of immigration, both in respect of public spending and community cohesion. This report addresses the public perception that migrants are unfairly advantaged in the allocation of social housing, by focusing on the eligibility and experience of migrants with regard to the allocation of social housing. The research finds small numbers of foreign nationals accessing the social rented sector, highlighting the lack of migrants’ awareness of their legal rights and responsibilities, the barriers to allocation and the limits of statutory regulations on their eligibility.

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Housing pathways of new immigrants

D Robinson, K Reeve and R Casey, Joseph Rowntree Foundation, 2007

Through a series of in-depth qualitative interviews with new immigrants living in Sheffield, this research explores the arrival, experiences and settlement stories of new immigrants. Concluding with a number of practical policy suggestions, it examines the housing pathways of new immigrants; the ways in which resources, perceptions and priorities shape those pathways; the barriers to meeting housing requirements; and the relationship between housing pathways and the dynamics of local housing markets. The study underlines the importance of immigration pathway and legal status as determinants of the choices and actions of new immigrants and their attitudes to settlement.

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Economic migration to housing market renewal areas in North West England – opportunity or threat?

S Pemberton and C Stevens, Merseyside Social Inclusion Observatory, 2007

Based on a number of interviews with practitioners and migrants, this report is the result of research between January and July 2007. It considers the impact of economic migrants from central and Eastern Europe on local housing and employment markets, access to services and community cohesion. The report focuses on two HMR Pathfinder areas in the North West: NewHeartlands in Merseyside and Oldham and Rochdale. It finds that A8 migrants do not appear to be displacing residents from available housing stock within HMR area in any significant numbers, nor does this pattern of migration appear to be problematic for community cohesion.

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