Robinson, D. and Walshaw, A. (2014) Security of tenure in social housing in England. Social Policy and Society, 13 (1). pp. 1-12. ISSN 1474-7464
Abstract
The Localism Act 2011 granted social landlords in England the right to award fixed-term (flexible) tenancies, thereby ending the right of new tenants to a secure tenancy. Reform was justified via reference to a revisionist critique of social housing, which accused security of tenure of promoting dependency, undercutting social mobility and preventing the effective operation of the sector as a welfare service. This article draws on empirical evidence from qualitative interviews with more than 140 social tenants to explore the legitimacy of these claims and consider the potential impact of ending security of tenure on the well-being of tenants. Analysis reveals security of tenure to be a source of stability that helps mediate the precariousness of life on low incomes. In conclusion, it is argued that policy should be looking to extend, rather than curtail, these benefits through an improved rental housing offer.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
---|---|
Authors/Creators: |
|
Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2013 Cambridge University Press. This is an author produced version of a paper subsequently published in Social Policy and Society. Article available under the terms of the CC-BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). |
Keywords: | Social housing; security of tenure; Localism Act; England |
Dates: |
|
Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Social Sciences (Sheffield) > Department of Geography (Sheffield) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Sheffield |
Date Deposited: | 23 Nov 2016 12:26 |
Last Modified: | 05 May 2020 08:52 |
Published Version: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S1474746413000183 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Cambridge University Press (CUP): HSS Journals |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1017/S1474746413000183 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:108083 |
Download
Filename: Security_of_tenure_FINAL Feb13 clean version.pdf
Licence: CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0