Building communities

The idea of a ‘property owning democracy’ has been a popular one with British governments since the Housing Act was passed in 1980. The concept has an even longer history in the USA, stretching back to Roosevelt’s New Deal in response to the Great Depression.

There has been a general acceptance of widespread home ownership as a positive and empowering model, but is this actually the case? In light of the sub-prime crisis and families trapped by negative equity, questions are being asked about the most suitable ways to meet housing needs.

One of the advantages often pointed to by proponents of home ownership is that residents have a stake in a community and therefore are more likely to respect and improve it. In some ways, however, this is a self-fulfilling prophecy; promoting home ownership means that people regard their time in rented accommodation as transitory. It is not the renting that encourages a lack of respect, but the short-term nature of people’s time in rented accommodation.

If this is to change, then people need to be encouraged to rent long-term. A stake in a community doesn’t just come from a monetary investment, but from social links, ties and associations. In short, places need to be built where people can build a life.

This involves building flats and houses that are suitable for single residents, flatshares, families and retirees. It means the provision of leisure facilities to meet the needs of all of these groups. And it requires an effective infrastructure of essential services to be established.

Only by creating places where people want to live can the current transient nature of renting be reversed. And only when it stops being considered transient will renting be deemed to be a positive choice. The truth is that home ownership is simply not suitable for everyone. It is often the least privileged members of our society, those that over-reached themselves trying to reach the unrealistic aim of owning their own home, that face the biggest impact when the market turns.

While it is perfectly fine for home ownership to be an aspiration, it should be accepted that it is not for everyone. To meet the housing needs of this country, society needs to view renting as a positive choice. It is not simply something that is done prior to buying, but a valid lifestyle choice to meet the needs and requirements of the individual at hand. This can only be done if people want to rent long-term, and they will only do this if they are part of a community.