Do policies to improve excluded and hard to let social housing estates work?

What is it about?

Reviews the progammes in France and England to rennovate and improve life on system built and single tenure social housing estates, many built to address post war shortages. The evaluation evidence of the impact of these programme is reviewed briefly, and the related and more recent programme to introduce "social mixing" on these estates. Overall the results of both types of programme are limited in terms of reducing poverty and exclusion on these, estates, and in particular mixed communities approaches tend to be imposed to address preceived problems of pockets of deprivation rather than with a veiw to a wider improvement of housing conditions for the poorest members of the community.

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Why is it important?

The problem of high crime, high poverty social housing estates continues to be of importance due to the impact on the health, educational outcomes, and job outcomes for residents on these estates. The limited impact of programmes to date continues to be a political priority, and now forms part of wider model of "mixed" development of middle class owned properties being built alongside rennovated social housing properties. The continuing need to find a practical and equitable solution for the disadvantaged members of the community who have little choice than increasingly residualised social housing remains an urgent priority. In France there are also continuing problems of social unrest and increasing disadvantage

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