Note No. 29 September 1996 Revitalizing Low-Income Public Housing Through Community Participation in the UK Poverty is at the root of the problems facing many public housing projects in the U.K. today. Experience emerging from 100 low-income housing estates echoes findings from urban upgrading for the poor in developing countries. Tackling poverty and unemployment in low income communities cannot be left to the market alone. Community participation and full partnership with communities is key, but this is constrained by the push to achieve results quickly, as well as lack of agency interest and skills in working with poor communities as partners. Lasting change requires a strong national and regional policy framework, a new approach based on inter-agency cooperation, local delivery and meaningful participation by local residents. Residents of such projects offer a significant resource for regeneration, particularly when they have established a foundation of local activity and organizational experience. Background ing that disadvantaged communities both contribute fully to, and benefit from, initiatives within their own In 1992, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation of the neighborhoods. United Kingdom funded a research program to explore ways of developing a more central role for tenants and Policy Focus residents in the physical, economic and social regen- eration of their "housing estates" (public housing In recent years, the central government has re- projects). Across Britain, some 2,000 low-income public sponded with a comprehensive strategic approach to housing projects are caught in a spiral of poverty, un- regenerating the estates. This significant advance in employment and heavy demand on welfare services. public policy emphasizes "partnership" and "commu- Residents face problems of social isolation and eco- nity involvement." It offer residents opportunities to nomic stagnation which are reinforced by public per- take more control over local services and to play a major ceptions of the stereotypical "housing project." part in strategic, long-term programs for their commu- nities. The 33 case studies supported by this program bring together experiences from over 100 estates across While the government has accepted the case for the British Isles and provide people's own perspective resident involvement, there is still much to learn about on estate life. The studies revealed many aspects of ef- how to effect meaningful participation. Agencies that fective community control including: involvement in de- have participated in the most successful estate regen- sign of housing and environmental improvements; lo- eration initiatives have found that it takes time to change cally managed services; job creation; and participation traditional ways of working, to develop cooperation in multi-agency partnerships. with other agencies and community residents, to learn to take a strategic view and, above all, to ensure that This unique body of experience offers many ex- residents are equal partners in regeneration rather than amples of successful practice and allows agencies to token players. Lead agencies face many pressures in identify and synthesize the main elements needed for a implementing the regeneration process as they adjust successful strategy and important lessons based on to financial constraints, changing demand, and local stakeholder participation. It also highlights the pitfalls and central government reforms. Experience shows that and the areas where tensions remain and progress is commitment to resident involvement can founder on slow. As such, it offers an important agenda for ensur- competing policy and performance objectives, lack of This note is based on a paper written by Marilyn Taylor for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation of the United Kingdom. The full report, "Unleashing the Potential: Bringing residents to the centre of regeneration" and a companion video can be obtained from York Publishing Services, 64 Halifield Road, Layerthorpe, York YO3 7XA, United Kingdom. Telephone: 1904 430033. Box 1 InvolvingYoungPeople In Pembroke Street, children were involved in the rehabilitation of the estate by getting the local schools involved in designing the security gates and entrance mosaic for the estate. In Meadowell, the community newsletter has a separate youth section produced by young people themselves. Young people who were in jail after the riots were visited to keep them informed on what was going on in the estate, an initiative that has now been taken up by the housing department. Young people have helped both to design and build the new youth center and are now forming a construction cooperative to bid for work on other parts of the community village. Some young people already have jobs on the construction site for the village. In Birmingham, SHAPE Housing Association worked with schools to: · Design a school garden · Produce a quarterly community bulletin · Carry out an environmental audit of SHAPE · Design a village notice board One school Head reported much closer contact with the local community as a result, including with Asian mothers who had in the past been difficult to involve. Sources: Watson, Putting Back the Pride (20); Gibson, Danger-Opportunity (16); McArthur, Housing Associations and Neighborhood Regeneration (22). understanding or insecurity among agency staff, and Assessing Community Strengths other claims on resources. There are also widely dif- fering interpretations of what resident and community Each public housing project is unique. Successful involvement means. regeneration strategies must start from a careful assess- ment of the nature and history of a particular estate, the Studies of 100 public housing projects across the factors which shape it, and the resources available to British Isles identified a set of "ingredients for suc- it. Every effort should be made to challenge the stereo- cess" in strategies aimed at regenerating low income typing and prejudice from which many estates suffer. estates. These include: While it is important to acknowledge the pressure un- Box 2 Mechanisms for Community Participation Although many special government initiatives in the U.K. now emphasize community involvement, evidence suggests that this often happens after bids for services have been made and initiatives launched. To rectify this situation, a number of procedural changes are recommended: · Sufficient lead-in time should be allowed for residents to make an informed and effective contribution. If there is one message above all others that emerges from the studies of Britain's housing estates, it is that official timescales do not allow residents to make their full contribution. · All bidding guidance in every government-sponsored initiative should give consistent and high priority to creating opportunities for resident-led initiatives in a range of service areas. Agency regional offices need to be rigorous in examining bids for evidence of participation and in tying acceptances to appropriate consultation. This requires well defined criteria having the same weight as financial and administrative criteria. A high profile should be given to community involvement targets when publishing the results of the bidding process. · Agency regional offices also need to ensure that ongoing community participation is built into delivery plans, that performance targets are set for community involvement and that these are monitored as rigorously as other targets. Consultation with residents through their existing intermediary bodies and neighborhood forums is required to develop and enforce realistic criteria. · Where residents' groups are involved in unsuccessful bids, agencies should take active steps to provide feedback to allow them to improve their bidding skills or to develop alternative resources. der which residents live, it is even more important to Successful working partnerships require the com- recognize the assets and potential that local people, mitment of both agencies and residents. On the one buildings, firms and services represent. hand, agency professionals need to be prepared to adapt their ways of working to fit in with residents' Involving Residents at the Outset priorities. This may require training and the transfor- mation of agency culture. On the other hand, expecta- Successful solutions and action plans start from tions of residents must be realistic, especially when they residents' own priorities. As the major stakeholders, are being asked to take on the management of services residents can bring enormous expertise to the develop- which have proven challenging to most professionals. ment effort if they are involved at an early stage in de- The shift from campaigning and mutual support ac- veloping plans for the regeneration of the estate. Feasi- tivities to managing their own services can prove more bility studies can often tap a rich vein of experience, difficult than residents anticipate. Along with train- interest and skills by drawing upon the input of resi- ing, community members need resources adequate to dents. Agencies should employ participatory tools to the task and support in maintaining their accountabil- ensure that community members who are not "joiners" ity to the community-at-large: resident control should or who lack confidence about speaking in formal meet- not be regarded as a less expensive alternative to pro- ings can contribute fully. It is particularly important to fessional management. find ways of involving young people and ethnic mi- nority groups. Before outside bodies proceed with de- Successful management and service delivery also signing a regeneration strategy, they should also en- require agencies to establish close working relation- sure they are aware of already existing resident initia- ships with other agencies. Again, this demands new tives. skills and work routines for professional staff . Investing in Social Capital Tackling the Local Economy Astheytakeonresponsibilityforregeneratingtheir Jobs and income are essential to public housing community, residents are likely to need capacity build- regeneration. To this end, several avenues have proven ing support. Agencies must allocate sufficient time to worth pursuing: ensure confidence, skills and capacity are strengthened. Training, specialist expertise and dedicated resources · Developing opportunities within estates for jobs in can be crucial in developing community capacity and local mainstream services and in housing and other individual technical and organizational skills. Ideally, regeneration initiatives supported by appropriate residents will control how this outside support is em- training. ployed and targeted. · Continuously improving access to the mainstream Relatively small levels of resources can make a big economy through training, job placement and differenceindevelopingthecapacityofresidentstomake facilitating the transition from welfare benefits to a full and informed contribution. However, because paid work. community-based groups are often organizationally fragile and do not have financial reserves to draw upon, · Developing community-based service organi- agenciesmaywanttoestablisha"CommunityResource zations in areas where there is an insufficient Fund" to ensure that groups have access to necessary market for the private sector and where potential resources. In addition, financial procedures and pro- customers cannot afford to pay. cesses must be straightforward and administratively efficient. · Supporting efforts to further develop existing informal economies on estates. These may include Changing Service Delivery credit unions, self-help efforts, skills exchanges and schemes to ease the transition from welfare to work. Changes in service delivery which have made a Sharing Power considerable difference to estates include: decentrali- zation; resident participation in estate improvement, service planning and provision; estate agreements pre- Partnerships between agencies and residents of- pared jointly between agencies and residents; and es- fer the potential for new forms of local governance in tablishment of a variety of tenant management organi- which, ultimately, significant power is shared with resi- zations. This flexibility in agency response based on dents and where professionals work for and with com- local definitions of need has facilitated new levels of munities on an equal basis. This, however, remains a resident participation. long-termgoal. Atthisstage,majordifferencesinpower, resources, culture and capacity exist between outside A Comprehensive Approach agencies and local residents. While each estate is different and the starting point To move toward power sharing, residents need for regeneration depends on the unique opportunities support in building up robust and independent orga- available, a comprehensive approach must be adopted nizations. Agencies must respect community views, if real change is to be achieved. Community activity is even when they are in conflict with their own. The not enough on its own. Without the commitment and most successful existing agency-resident partnerships resources of all the major players, including national within estates have all gone through periods of dis- government, local resident activity will only have a lim- agreement but have emerged the stronger for it. ited impact on the real pressures facing estates. Confi- dence and organizing skills should be built through Planning for Lasting Change smaller-scale local activity. Encouraging a variety of local organizations which represent different commu- In developing regeneration strategies, agencies nity needs and interests ensures informed and account- should plan for their "exit" from the beginning. Pros- able leadership. Effective community participation has pects for sustainability are increased by the develop- emerged by piloting activities and building capacity ment of local capacity, both among residents and in simultaneously, and ensuring that success is recog- locally managed mainstream services. They also de- nized beyond the local level. pend crucially on developing community-controlled "successor" bodies with assets, endowments or attrac- Ultimately, public housing regeneration cannot be tive opportunities for future investment. National poli- achieved within the confines of one locality. National, cies are needed which can both encourage this and es- regional and city policies must be dedicated to coun- tablish a viable legal and financial investment frame- tering the economic and social exclusion confronting work for successor organizations over the long term. all low income residents. Box 3 Wider Policy Implications The study of over 100 low income housing estates in Britain suggests that social capital is built through an active tradition of local activity and organization which gives people confidence, skills and experience. This is the foundation on which schemes to introduce community-based participation must be built if they are to succeed. If development is to build on the potential that lies within local communities it needs: A strategic approach that targets and invests in neighborhoods where poverty is concentrated, but which is firmly linked into area-wide regeneration programs. A "community impact assessment" should be required of proposed major developments so that the social impact, and the likely costs attached to this, can be assessed and taken into account from the outset. Knowledge based on local people's own perceptions, expertise and aspirations. All new initiatives should be required to show how local communities have been involved in initial planning and will be involved in implementation. · Sufficient agency resources and expertise to support effective local participation. Placing responsibility in the hands of communities does not mean leaving them to struggle alone. It requires investment to support small-scale community activities and to provide a financial infrastructure which will support the growth of sustainable community regeneration organizations. A Community Resource Fund would allow communities to articulate their own priorities and to become involved in development initiatives at the earliest opportunity. · Locally funded and administered services which offer residents the opportunity to participate at whatever level they choose. · The development of community based organizations with assets, organizational capacity and long-term viability. · Improved access to economic opportunities within and outside the neighborhood. · New forms of partnership and decisionmaking, with outside agencies prepared to adapt their priorities and ways of working to allow residents to participate as full partners. · A new type of dialogue with local communities which respects their autonomy and expertise while accepting them as full partners rather than as beneficiaries. This requires: decentralized administration; information disseminated through local media; training and organizational programs throughout the agency so that front-line practices are changed; strong coordination of agencies operating locally; and agency coordination at the international and country levels.