Policy context
By Jas Bains, Hafod Chief Executive
We have entered a second decade in which government policies of austerity, deficit reduction, welfare reform and public sector cuts have challenged independent purpose as well as continuing to pose dilemmas about filling state gaps.
The period has fundamentally changed the nature of relationships between residents and social landlords. We contend with far higher numbers of complex, vulnerable people which has placed greater asks of the frontline to support customers experiencing anxiety, depression, loneliness, domestic violence, food security, debt, fuel poverty etc in the absence of no longer funded statutory and voluntary services. Some of this need is met through housing support, but lack of capacity has placed most demands through general needs housing, sadly others fall between gaps and their needs remain unmet.
Most of the evidence indicates organisations have responded through strategic expansion (rather than contraction) of their own housing and community investment services and by partnership working with local authorities and communities. The collective spirit to support people through the pandemic and subsequently the cost-of-living crisis is reminder of Octavia Hill’s famous line about it being about the people as well as the homes.
In particular, investment has gone into income recovery, advice on budgetary management, multi-agency working, digital transformation and reorganising front-facing customer services.
In Wales, the partnership between state and housing associations is stronger than England, and there is a continuing expectation to help fill state gaps. Unfortunately, the absence of a significant other non-profit sector (community, voluntary, social enterprises, charities) places a greater reliance on the remaining large scale, well-capitalised, community benefit institutions. Over time the role has evolved from merely ‘contractors to the state’ to ‘protectors of public value’ (Professor David Mullins).
It is timely to revisit the conversation to build a consensus about the identity, role and purpose of housing associations and to address the ongoing dilemmas in the context of the operating environment. The question is, what does that look like, and to see this as an opportunity to capitalise on the latent potential of the sector to meet the wider public good.