Increasing the Number of People Downsizing in Social Housing - Essay Example

?Increasing the Number of People “Downsizing” In Social Housing Table of Contents Page …………………………………………………………………………………………2 Aim of the strategy………………………………………………………………………………..3 Background study…………………………………………………………………………………3 Problem statement…………………………………………………………………………………4 Solution……………………………………………………………………………………………5 Aims………………………………………………………………………………………….……7 Action Plan………………………………………………………………………………….…….7 Risk Plan…………………………………………………………………………………….……8 Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………….…….8 References………………………………………………………………………………….…….9 Abstract This paper explores the intricate issue of housing sector and in particular the social housing. With housing being a necessity, it observes with keenness that there has been a downward trend in many countries regarding people who own homes or have decent housing. It probes the root cause of the problem with the different scholars offering different views on the subject. It enhances the importance of housing and the fact that governments have played a big role in the so called “downsizing’. It therefore delegates itself the duty of bringing the solution to this societal problem that has been highlighted by the emergence of slums while at the same time posh estates of the rich exist. It simply offers solution and tries to ascertain how an increase can be made to the number of people in the social housing. With examples from countries such as Britain, United States, and Sweden it analyses their policies and checks on whether they seceded or not. To this end, it is informative, sceptical, and analytical. Aims of the strategy To understand whether there can be an increase in the number of people who attain the social housing with the understanding that there are forces that fight this move and have led to the decrease of the same. Background Study Housing is a basic necessity. This then means that home ownership serves the purpose of ensuring that fundamental obligations are fulfilled. This may include raising the quality of family life and education. To this end, housing plays a fundamental role in the economies of both developed and developing countries with the governments of respective countries acknowledging this as a mirror of development. Housing policy then has been regarded in two different views; there are those who view it in terms of continuity or change with the change protagonist accusing the regime of short termism due to their nature of treating the housing as a “political football” and being chameleons in their nature of changing colours and direction to reflect party political preferences (Balchin and Rhoden 2002). These changing political positions have made it impossible to have choices that are rational in the housing sector. This change perspective is argued by Harloe (1995) who notes that the case of British housing policy is ideal example where he links the change from the periods of 1919 to 1970s. He notes that this is as a result of both long term economic changes and shorter political tensions by stating that social housing widened from residual housing only in times of market disruptions and political upheavals. Barker (2003) supports this by contending that the role of housing policy was only to support modernization of the housing market while the social housing played a different role. To this end, the propagators of this view had their insights on the fact that housing policy was at most times put into place only to help the political outfits. The other view was the fact that housing policy was seen as continuity or coherent. This is to mean the continuity in form of home ownership and a modernized housing market so as to provide for those who could not afford. Harloe (1995) notes that the idea of public housing incorporation into the residual sector gained momentum in the late 1970s. The thought that it was only the role of public agencies that would provide planning and production of housing gave way to the sector becoming a market based approach where the private sector play a central role. This has gained popularity in many countries following the economic mindset created, which emphasizes market dynamism and efficiency in the national economic management. The question is then what are the objectives of this paper. The objectives are clear and vivid in the fact that it endeavours to discuss the housing policy in relation to increasing the number of people who were previously “downsized”. An outlook of western developed countries such as Britain, United States, and Sweden in regards to how they have treated the issue of social housing is therefore imperative in attaining the strategy of checking how most people especially the lower class have been locked out in the housing policy and try to mitigate solutions to correct the same. Problem Statement The advancement of private sector in the housing sector and the reluctance of government in legislating proper laws led to the rise of housing problems with the majority of population lacking the necessity. These were the case of Britain and United States forcing them to legislate their respective social housing policy that would facilitate those who could not get in the private markets. For Britain, the social welfare strategy was the strategy for mitigating this while in the United States it was the stimulation of private enterprise. Both were mitigating the need for housing for the rising populations in their market economy. The question then is did they succeed in their endeavour to provide social housing? The answer to this question is a big no as this problem is still with us. Housing becoming a problem with the existence of slums alone in even the developed countries is enough evidence of a lack of social housing policies. These policies then stem down from historical perspective discussed above and has led to majority of people lacking decent housing. Sociologist have cited the reason to this by concluding that the endeavour to establishing equal opportunities has played a negative role in the social housing mainly because the leadership employed policies that were of no help to low income earners and middle class. The problem in the housing market is therefore affordability, which is regarded by Barker (2003) as a reflection of the lack of responding by the supply to the demand. To this end, throwing the towel on the issue does not forge the solution on the matter of increasing people to the social housing. Solution The solution to increasing the number of people in the social housing is embedded in the approach taken by the Swedish Government. Their approach was termed as the comprehensive planning where the government predicts the national and the local housing requirements. They then get involved in the controlling of the production of private as well as public and co-operative housing (Barker 2003). The Swedish government has endeavoured to improve the middle class housing and neighbourhoods. It offers a unique form of housing where the wage earners pay a lower proportion of their income in comparison with the middle class people. The lower income groups such as the unmarried, students, pensioners, and the handicapped are well catered for. All these have been attained through public policy interventions by means of mortgage subsidies, housing allowance, and rent control. By house allowance, the government offers a national scheme of housing where those that have their houses built can afford to live in them. This is estimated to at least 40% of households who are eligible. To this end, the Swedish government provides the benchmark within which the strategy to increase the people to the social housing should be embedded. The point is not an exact replica but a similar strategy of commitment from the respective governments so as to accommodate the people with the housing problems. The legislation of laws is a start with the value being ensuring that implementation will be done effectively. However, the solution provided by the Swedish government is to come with some certain costs. This is so because Sweden has dedicated a high proportion of its resources to the housing sector making other sectors to have less. Sweden is among the highly taxed countries and the (financial) sacrifice will be beneficial to the country in increasing the ever impending problem of social housing (Barker 2003). The risk to the solution of this is the lack of implementation by the respective governments. The developed countries such as Britain and the United States had good intentions when proposing the social welfare strategy and the stimulating private enterprise respectively. However, these were not to see the light in terms of their implementations by the respective governments. Governments are also known to play politics regarding the social housing issues hence the risk is reluctant government and subsequently politicians who have ambitions that they may align them along the social housing. The private sector is another risk due to the nature of their capitalizing on the industry and any form of legislation that may limit them from achieving these may be met with opposition. The governments in this retrospect should be keen in implementing the laws regarding the social policies and able to balance with the role the private sector will play. They should look at having alternatives of improving the social welfare. The setting of extra funds and involvement of various stakeholders is all part of the contingencies the government can put in place to address the issue. Aims The aim or objective of this paper is to provide an analysis of what is at stake in matters involving the housing sector. This is to equip the reader with the knowledge of the sector and some of the divergent views that are involved. The paper is also informative on the trends of the housing sector in different countries with much emphasis on the social policies mitigated by those countries. This by far explains the downsizing of people in the social housing. After the analysis, where the paper literary blames the market forces and the advancement of private sector, the paper seeks to provide the solution to mitigate all these through the adoption of a similar policy as that of Swedish government. To this end, the paper aims at being a problem solver in increasing the number of people acquiring the social housing. The paper to greater lengths compares the housing policies adopted by countries such as United States, Britain and Sweden offering the policy that stood out and why. Action Plan It is doubtless that governments have a role to play in the social housing policy. This then calls for all interested governments to take upon themselves to change their social housing policies that will improve the lives of its populace. Decent housing and improved neighbourhood can only be attained if the governments put measures that are geared towards their improvement. Mortgage subsidies and increased investment in the housing sector are some of the measures they can take to improve. Although this may have detrimental sacrifices to other departments, it will certainly improve the social housing to a large extent. The action plan therefore calls for governments to stand out as propagators of social housing not only in words but by action through implementation of the set out laws and policies. The advancement of private sectors should also be mitigated with control as it has been observed that the private sector are all profit seeking, a thing that results in skyrocketing house prices. To this end, control of private sector should be undertaken and cooperation encouraged where there is mutual benefit to all parties. Risk plan There should be a risk plan to mitigate the risk that is likely to occur. The government should conduct regular assessments on whether it is implementing the laid down social housing policies. This it can do through the start of independent bodies to ensure that it is implementing the social housing policies and that it is meeting its target. The response by the people is also important in ensuring that it has achieved or it is achieving its goal. The private sector should be strapped with heavy fines or lack of funds so as to slow down their progress in making the housing sector. Conclusion The social housing policy is then achievable if various stakeholders take upon themselves to embark on appropriate steps to do so. The implementation of this will increase the people in the social housing leading to decent housing and well off neighbourhoods that will fulfil the basic necessity. This will make an improved quality of life for all as housing is part of development that a country strives for. Reference List Balchin, P and Rhoden, M 2002, Housing Policy: an introduction, 4th edition, London, Routledge. Barker, K 2003, Review of Housing Supply: securing our future needs. An interim report, London, Treasury and ODPM. Harloe, M 1995, The People’s Home? Social Rented Housing in Europe and America, Oxford, Blackwell. Read More