Bruce Walker

Housing policy in the UK

Introduction The Origins of Housing Policy to 1979 Housing Under the Conservatives 1979-1997 Housing Under New Labour 1997-2004 Homeownership in Transition Deregulating the Private Rented Sector Transforming the Governance, Management and Regulation of Social Housing Policies and Problems in Social Housing Finance Incorporating the Non-Profit Sector Choice and Control: Social Housing Management and Access to Social Housing Housing, Social Care, and Supporting People Social Exclusion, Housing and Neighbourhood Renewal Private Sector Housing Renewal A New Comprehensive Housing Policy - Overcoming Fragmentation or Managing Complexity?

Modelling Tenants' Choices in the Public Rented Sector: A Stated Preference Approach

This paper uses a stated preference (SP) approach to examine the potential housing choices of tenants in the UK public housing sector. The paper begins by explaining the policy significance of the choices that such tenants might make if alternative dwellings were offered to them. It then discusses the SP approach in general before explaining the way in which it is used in this study. The results of the SP modelling exercise are presented. These suggest that tenants are unlikely to move to housing estates that they see as being worse than their current estate solely in response to lower rents. This is because a number of factors other than rent are of more significance in their potential housing decisions.

Trust-Based Relationships in Local Government Contracting

This article examines issues of trust and competition as they relate to a number of services provided by British local government. The first section outlines the changing policy context of competition for local authority services and is followed by a discussion of the nature of trust under contracting, drawing on elements of (primarily) economic theory to identify the features of contracting which we would expect to find in a ‘low trust world’. The authors ask whether these features appear to be present in contracting and point to some features of the CCT legislative framework which may help to explain this. After reviewing private sector practice, the extent to which it could be replicated under CCT is examined.

Perspectives on contractual relationships and the move to best value in local authorities

This article is concerned with the nature of the contracting relationship in local authorities. After considering some of the implications of a basic model of contracting (principal‐agent theory) and questioning some of its implications, we briefly examine whether the Compulsory Competitive Tendering (CCT) regime is likely to have forced many clients and contractors into the more adversarial style of contract management that the theory predicts. We then assess the degree to which parties to local authority contracts act, or wish to act, in a more relational manner and consider some of the implications of the Best Value regime. We conclude by suggesting that there are some important requirements which need to be placed upon public sector contracting behaviour to limit the implementation of ‘full’ relational styles in practice.

Setting the Rents of Social Housing: The Impact and Implications of Rent Restructuring in England

The question of how the rents of social housing should be set has been a matter of debate in many European countries. This paper draws on research into the probable impacts of the UK governments policy to restructure rents in England to explore some of the issues involved in determining the rents of social housing. The paper discusses why social rent setting is a particular issue in the UK and how the government is seeking to address it through the rent restructuring policy that is currently being implemented. Then, after outlining the nature of the study on which the paper is based, the local effects of the policy on social housing rents are examined. An assessment is made of whether the policy is likely to fulfil its explicit objectives and it is concluded that only some of these are likely to be met. It is also concluded that the current direction of UK policy raises some questions that are likely to be of concern beyond the UK.

The Demand for Professional League Football and the Success of Football League Teams: Some City Size Effects

This paper examines the relationship between the league standing of English professional football teams and the rank and size of the SMLA in which they are located, and the influence of population, among other factors, on attendances at football fixtures. The paper commences with a brief review of existing work in this area and concludes on the basis of empirical work presented here that the demonstrated influence of population on both league standing and attendances would suggest that big city teams will be more successful. Additionally, the relative importance of distance between teams competing in a fixture on attendances for lower division teams, might suggest benefits to be derived from regionalisation of the lower leagues.

Monitoring and Motivation in Principal‐Agent Relationships: Some Issues in the Case of Local Authority Services

This paper examines a number of issues concerning the effects of monitoring on principals and agents involved in the provision of local authority services subject to competition. It examines, and then extends, existing theoretical work indicating the potential for sub-optimal outcomes that result from the principal introducing monitoring schemes which focus upon the measurable aspects of the agents performance. The paper then departs from the received principal-agent paradigm in order to consider whether monitoring and competitive regimes more generally have negative effects on the welfare and performance of principals and agents in both theory and practice. Copyright 2000 by Scottish Economic Society.

Pricing Public Housing Services: Mirroring the Market?

This paper is concerned with the determination of rents in the local authority sector. It concentrates on the determination of relative rents in particular. Local authorities in England have traditionally had autonomy in determining the rents for individual dwellings in their housing stock, but the 1989 Local Government and Housing Act introduced the requirement that the relativities in the public sector should be determined with reference to those obtaining in the local private rented sector. This policy, which still remains in force under the new government, is intended to price public housing more efficiently and links to long standing concerns with issues such as under-occupation. The paper critically examines the rationale behind this policy. It advances the argument that not only are the price differentials in the private sector not necessarily a good guide for efficient pricing in the public sector, but also that the conditions in the public sector are unlikely to ensure that changing rent differen...

The Impact of Direct Public Funding for Private Developers on Non-Profit Housing Networks in England: Exploring a Research Agenda

Abstract Reforms to the funding of new social housing in England in 2004 enabled private sector firms to compete with existing non-profit providers for grant. These reforms are at an early stage, but already around 4 per cent of new social housing is being constructed through direct funding of private developers. Expectations of increased efficiency were partially confirmed by the competitive bids accepted from private developers in the first bidding round 2008–11. However, the longer-term impacts of the co-existence of market and non-profit actors on motivations, behaviour, regulation and outcomes for the social housing sector in England require a broader analytical framework combining elements of organisational economics and network management. While the former can contribute to understanding of principal:agent contracting issues such as, transaction costs, moral hazard and adverse selection, the latter can inform longer term organisational and systems adjustments through covenanting, reframing, selective activation and network adjustment. The article proposes longer term research to determine the extent to which these reforms fundamentally change the nature of the agents and their interactions over time.

Challenging Local Authority Accounts—A Process in Need of Reform?

This article examines the challenges made by local electors to local authority and parish accounts in England and Wales, and the role of the District Auditor in this process. This matter has recently received some attention from the Nolan Committee. The different sorts of challenges that electors can make are explained and auditors’ responses to challenges and the opportunities for abuse of the process by electors are examined. Finally, the authors look at the strength of the case for the reform of the system.