Chartered Institute of Housing

About: Chartered Institute of Housing is a nonprofit organization based out in London, United Kingdom. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Participatory action research & Social responsibility. The organization has 8 authors who have published 9 publications receiving 105 citations.

‘Beyond text’: exploring ethos and method in co-producing research with communities

Abstract: There is a critique of research conducted in communities which fails to include communities in its design and undertaking. In parallel, academic research is increasingly being measured according to its benefit to the wider society. Co-productive research is a response to these challenges which offers a way of recognizing the resource contribution of communities to research and emphasizing the conduct of research ‘with’ communities rather than ‘on’ communities. This article identifies the reliance on ‘text’ in the research process as a barrier to delivering meaningful co-productive research with communities. ‘Beyond-text’ tools are emerging across academic disciplines and include story-telling, performance, art and photography. Recent research emphasizes the empowering potential of these methods by facilitating greater reflection on the lived experience of those involved. This article looks at examples of research which have employed ‘beyond text’ methods to consider their potential to deliver co-produced research with communities. It also asks whether it is the application of specific technical approaches and methods, or the underlying ethos within which research is conducted that is most critical to challenging unequal power relationships. It argues that beyond-text methods need to be applied within a wider set of values which re-conceptualize the role of the researcher working with communities.

Social rehousing policy in britain: Needs, rights, and choices

Abstract: When selecting among competing applicants for rehousing in social rented property, the perceived wisdom in Britain since the 1940s has been to award priority to households in the greatest housing need. “Need” is often defined in highly complex ways. However, a shift has occurred in local authority and housing association rehousing policies away from allocations made solely on the basis of need. This shift comes in response to the changing context in which social rented housing has operated in the past 15 years and to perceived weaknesses in needs‐based systems. Present policies are designed to address wider objectives, including developing stable communities and minimizing housing management problems. This article examines these policy changes and the extent to which local housing allocations are used to address not only individual household needs, but also the concerns of local communities and wider housing management issues.

Major Repair Work: Whose Responsibility?

Abstract: This chapter examines decision-making in relation to major repair work in multi-owned property in Hong Kong, China. It considers the difficulty a ‘responsible’ owner would have in the context of the current multi-ownership regime and the ecology of the building maintenance industry. Major repair works involve not just problems that are common to collective decision-making, such as free riding and collective action, but also technical complexity on the scope and expected quality of the major repairs. This chapter highlights the connection between internal issues of the property and the external environment in the process of decision-making. It contends that the state, the market and the third sector can each play an important role in providing innovative, flexible and socially responsible solutions.