Community Cohesion and Housing: a good practice guide John Perry and Bob Blackaby

Member price: £22.50   Non-member price: £28.00

A cohesive community is one that is in a state of wellbeing, harmony and stability.  This guide aims to help housing organisations, housing professionals and the residents they work with achieve more cohesive communities.

Recent concerns about cohesion breaking down have occurred for several reasons – for example, the London bombings in July 2005 and media controversy about levels of migration.  These led to the appointment of the Independent Commission on Integration and Cohesion, which reported in June, 2007.  This new edition of a popular CIH guide reflects the Commission’s recommendations and gives up-to-date advice to housing professionals.

The Commission focussed on ‘how local areas themselves can play a role in forging cohesive and resilient communities’.  The guide follows the same approach, and is packed with practical examples of where this is already happening, and the principles that should be followed in both existing neighbourhoods and in new developments.

Another of the Commission’s key themes is that society is changing rapidly, sometimes in areas of the country which have not previously experienced much change.  The guide focuses strongly on examples that reflect the ‘new diversity’ of British towns and cities and the issues that arise for housing and other professionals.

The guide is for all organisations involved in housing – local authorities, social landlords, private developers and estate and lettings agents – as well as those engaged in housing-led regeneration or new development.   It is also for people living in neighbourhoods, who are interested in creating more cohesive communities.

ISBN: 978 1 905018 61 1   Order no: 655   Published: October 2007

Contents

Acknowledgements
Glossary

1. About the Guide

Purpose of the guide
Context of Singh Commission and re-examination of community cohesion
Who the guide is for
Scope of guide

2. The Changing Face of Neighbourhoods

Changing face of minority communities in Britain
Issues faced by new communities
Deprivation and BME communities
Housing and BME communities

3. The Big Picture - Community cohesion and housing organisations

Changing national and local context
Policy background relevant to housing
Meanings of Community Cohesion and Integration - and their wider scope
What housing organisations do and what they can do for cohesion
Legislation and regulatory requirements
How housing fits into wider policies on community cohesion

4. Creating strong and positive relationships within neighbourhoods

What a cohesive community might be
Removing barriers - tackling deprivation/crime/racism, etc
Identifying and tackling issues/tensions within neighbourhoods
Developing shared values about achieving a cohesive community
Promoting inter-community activities
Dealing with community change (eg new migration, redevelopment)
Involving different parts of the community (eg young people, older people)
Supporting new groups moving into local communities

5. Creating more sustainable neighbourhoods

Mixed neighbourhoods - What are they? - What are the key elements? - What is the benefit to cohesion?
The issue of residential segregation
Role of housing providers
Specific housing issues

• Knowledge of/publicity for housing entitlements + local policies (eg on lettings)
• Housing-related data
• Lettings
• Supporting moves to 'non-traditional' areas
• Transparency/fairness between groups
• Relationship between specialist and non-specialist providers
• Action in the private housing sectors
  
  

6. Investing for cohesive neighbourhoods

Mainstreaming cohesion in investment decisions
Prioritising areas for investment
Planning for and designing new housing developments
Regeneration of existing neighbourhoods
Investment in communities - community development and capacity building
Use of planning powers
Wider aspects of mixed developments

7. Developing local community cohesion strategies

Mapping cohesion and prioritising areas for action
Tackling cohesion across an area and between neighbourhoods
LA community cohesion strategies
Designing a community cohesion and housing strategy
Monitoring and evaluation of community cohesion strategies

8. Roles, responsibilities and partnerships

Responsibilities of housing organisations
Work to promote cohesion within organisations
Wider work to promote cohesion
Working at community level

Appendix 1 Guidelines on ‘single group funding’
Appendix 2 Guidelines on translation and use of interpreter