Why have we lost sight of the purpose of ‘home’?

Collectively we have lost sight of the meaning of home, and this is harmful to individuals and society.

At a political level, we believe the shift away from a policy of mixed housing provision focussed on meeting the nation’s housing needs to a policy of homeownership and framing of ‘property’ as a primarily financial investment is a core contributor to losing sight of the value of home. We are experiencing the consequences of this policy through increased instability and unaffordability across the housing market and a return to living conditions for some that are reminiscent of pre-World War I slums.

At an institutional level, we have seen regulated landlords merge and grow in response to reduced government investment in new, truly affordable homes for rent and increased reliance on market sources of funding. Alongside this restructuring, has been the adoption of increasingly market-oriented cultures and practices and a denigration of the values of public sector working. This results in landlords who are disconnected from their communities and from an understanding of the core social purpose of their work: Providing safe, secure and decent properties that tenants and residents can call home.

At a cultural level, we all bear some responsibility for losing sight of the value of tax-funded housing at below-market rent. We have been subject to divisive propaganda that frames regulated housing tenants as feckless and sector landlords as uncaring and cruel. The reality is we benefit as individuals and as a society from truly affordable housing that is widely accessible and is a tenure of first choice. While there are problems in managing homes by regulated landlords, the hard data shows that regulated property homes are in better condition than those in the private rented sector, and privately owned homes (Cromarty, H. and C. Barton (2022). Housing conditions in the private rented sector (England). https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/ research-briefings/cbp-7328/. Retrieved 21 February 2023, House of Commons Library).

As an independent charity, we are free to name and highlight the underlying problems contributing to the devaluing of tax-subsidised housing and the denigration of the regulated housing sector and tenants.

What is the solution?

We can reconnect to the purpose of home again. We have a vision of developing housing policy and practice centred on tenants’ and residents’ experiences of home and landlord services, where tenants are part of the fabric of decision-making about their homes and the housing services they receive.

We believe that English housing policy and practice needs to be more:

• Evidence-led – Unlike other state-funded services such as education, the police, and the NHS, tax-subsidised housing practice lacks a foundational knowledge base to inform a ‘community of practice’. We believe that tenants will receive better quality homes and services by developing the knowledge base to inform housing practice.
• Connective – A connective, emotional understanding of home helps to join the dots in valuing the material quality of the home, services and the many types of relationships that make a place worth living in.
• Collective – Tenants and residents, applicants, practitioners and policy-makers will benefit from sharing decision-making. Collective decisions are not easy and it is through conflict and finding common ground that we can reconnect with housing policy that works for people, not profit.
• Reflective – as we have collectively lost sight of the value of home, we need to reflect on what housing policy we want now, and in the future. The future is not inevitable. We need to work towards a collective vision of housing policy and practice that works for us, now and for future generations.

There are new understandings of human behaviour, how we make individual and group decisions and what constitutes evidence-led practice in the world of policy-making. The regulated housing sector is decades behind other fields, such as health, education and justice. We believe we can work together to develop policy and practice that centre on what is important to tenants about their homes and landlord services.

Working to these values would mean that:

Housing policy and practice are informed by evidence.

By working with universities, research institutions, landlords, charities and third parties who understand the value of independent research to inform practice. We can develop a distinct knowledge base to inform housing policy and practice.

We must collaborate to produce knowledge that centres tenants and residents with the issues that matter to them.

Take a ‘whole human’ approach to understanding what matters in housing

For too long we have assumed that complex problems can be rationalised and simplified. This perspective has contributed to us losing sight of understanding home to be an emotional place.

We need theories that connect the ‘heart and mind’ and value what is important about being human.

Experiment with innovative democratic techniques

There has been a quiet revolution in techniques that help us to make better decisions, together. Examples include citizen juries, crowdsourcing, action research and co-production.

We are facing increasingly complex problems produced by poverty, environmental change and an increasingly polarised society.

We need to collaborative to innovate and connect with people who are different to us.