Christine Whitehead presents at an ARC sponsored symposium titled ‘Illuminating the black box of housing and health’, Univerisity of Adelaide. Presentation titled, ‘Housing affordability and policy change: impacts on wellbeing in the UK‘.
Some conclusions on housing:
- Housing specific subsidies of all types have been a major benefit, limiting housing poverty through supply, below market rents and income support.
- In the social sector in particular HAs have provided management support and security for tenants;
- The growth of the PRS, while generally increasing standards, has left many households more insecure and paying unaffordable rents – and some unable to live seperately;
- Welfare changes are leading to greater insecurity and lower incomes – but poorest have still been protected up to now;
- Major issue around work incentives because high incidence of HB and high rents means large numbers of working households on partial benefit;
- Those in owner-occupation generally doing better – but many excluded even though could afford to buy so paying more in the PRS for less;
- Most welfare impacts still to come;
- Underlying all these findings is dysfunctionality in both the welfare system structure and the housing system particularly with respect to new housing supply;a
- And the intention of reducing government subsidy to housing.
Some conclusions on wellbeing:
- Very little street homelessness – which has the worst outcomes;
- Still very bad among those in temporary accommodation;
- Physical housing conditions generally continue to improve;
- Insecurity and its impact of mental health and wellbeing worsened by growth of PRS and changes to social tenancies;
- Affordability a major problem for those just above HB and a growing problem for those on HB. Leaves increasing numbers of households without minimum income– leading to poorer diet, inadequate heating and serious pressures on mental health;
- But need to be careful not to cry wolf. In work benefits being cut but incomes rising; cuts are as yet marginal in social sector; elderly and physically heavily disabled protected; outright ownership growing and those in owner-occupation benefit from low interest rates;
- Single parents and large families at increasing risk from welfare cap;
- But those where housing affordability affects wellbeing most are young singles tenure – and those who are most fearful of change – including in particular the disabled with lesser disabilities but little access to employment;
- Principles of housing in relation to welfare set in place in 1947 beginning to be eroded.
The entire presentation can be accessed and downloaded here.