The “Strong and Prosperous Communities – 2006 White Paper” outlined central government’s commitment to localism and community empowerment. At the time, many housing associations were not working in close collaboration with local authorities and Local Strategic Partnerships (LSPs) despite the benefits this would bring.
The Young Foundation was commissioned by the “The Housing Corporation” to investigate the role housing associations could play in neighbourhood governance and to produce this publication.
Our research investigated four housing associations that were perceived to be leading examples of associations that were strongly committed to neighbourhood working, both because of their involvement in local governance structures, and their commitment to providing services above those traditionally offered by landlords. The findings from our case studies were then discussed with and tested against the experiences of another 10 housing associations that represented a cross-section of the housing association sector.
‘Good Neighbours’ found that housing associations succeed in pushing forward neighbourhood governance when they: combine neighbourhood level partnerships and strategic involvement with the LSP; invest their own resources in neighbourhood governance; and value both formal and informal resident involvement. When associations fail to work closely with local authorities, it is their residents, including many of the most deprived communities in England, who lose out.
Posted on: 5 July 2007