Improving access to social housing: common housing registers and other potential reforms

Summary

‘Common housing registers’ and choice-based allocations systems and their relevance for all types of social housing agencies in Australia.


Project Number: 50297
Research Theme: Public_and_Community_Housing
Project Leader: Burke, Terry
Funding Year: 2005
Research Centre: Swinburne-Monash

Description

The research design focused on how to improve access to social housing. It undertook:

  • An extensive review of documentary material.
  • Workshops with policy makers and practitioners in four Australian states.
  • Fieldwork in eight sites in the UK and two in Canada.

The key findings of the research are:

  • The findings are reported in two volumes. First, the Final Report analyses the development, implementation and operation of 'common housing registers', 'choice based lettings' and 'local allocations policies'. Second, a Resource Kit provides a practical tool to assist those who are reviewing applications and allocations systems in Australian social housing.
  • Analytically, each reform option is associated with a different social policy paradigm: common housing registers with 'welfare service delivery'; choice-based lettings with 'consumer choice'; and local allocations policies with 'sustainable communities'.
  • The outcomes of choice based lettings indicate increased satisfaction levels for social housing tenants and demonstrable savings for providers.
  • Very little is known about the outcomes of common housing registers or local allocations policies, except that providers support them but the views of applicants are unknown.

More Information

Download now Other: Improving access to social housing: Resource kit: A practitioner's guide to review and reform of social housing allocation systems
265 KB PDF Document

Download now Positioning Paper: No. 088: Improving access to social housing: ideas for reform
1.7 MB PDF Document

Download now Final Report: No. 097: Improving access to social housing: paradigms, principles and reforms
666 KB PDF Document

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