Hjelmskog A, Deas I
MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow, Berkeley Square, 99 Berkeley Street, Glasgow, G3 7HR, UK.
University of Manchester, MSc, University of Strathclyde, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK.
Public Health Pract (Oxf). 2023 Jan 14;5:100355. doi: 10.1016/j.puhip.2023.100355. eCollection 2023 Jun.
in light of the acknowledged relationship between housing circumstances and health outcomes, the research explored the implications of the diversifying role of housing associations, considering the extent and form of engagement with the health sector and the potential repercussions for inequalities.
the research was based on a single case study of the Manchester city-region, chosen to provide a way of considering the role of recently agreed devolved governance and funding arrangements in respect of housing and health.
primary qualitative data were assembled via a programme of semi-structured interviews with housing and health policy actors and direct observation of six quarterly meetings of a housing-health steering group established as part of new devolved governance arrangements.
the findings reveal a perception among housing managers that the reorientation of housing association services to offset the rationalisation of mainstream provision risks exacerbating inequalities. Interview and observational data suggest that the diversification of housing association activity may have begun to erode the sector's ability and willingness to provide affordable housing on a universal basis to those in need.
The growing non-landlord functions of some housing associations can act as a deterrent to the allocation of housing to applicants with complex (and expensive) needs. This reinforces the increased selectivity in housing association stock allocations, linked to marketization and the increasingly commercial outlook of some providers. Further inequalities may be engendered because while tenants can benefit from the extended housing associations services, others continue to depend on a weakened statutory sector.
鉴于住房状况与健康结果之间已得到认可的关系，本研究探讨了住房协会角色多样化的影响，考虑了其与卫生部门的参与程度和形式以及对不平等现象的潜在影响。
该研究基于对曼彻斯特城市地区的单一案例研究，选择此案例是为了探讨近期商定的关于住房和卫生的权力下放治理及资金安排的作用。
通过对住房和卫生政策参与者进行半结构化访谈计划以及直接观察作为新的权力下放治理安排一部分而设立的住房 - 健康指导小组的六次季度会议，收集了主要的定性数据。
研究结果显示，住房管理人员认为住房协会服务重新定位以抵消主流供应合理化的风险会加剧不平等。访谈和观察数据表明，住房协会活动的多样化可能已开始削弱该部门为有需要的人普遍提供经济适用房的能力和意愿。
一些住房协会日益增长的非房东职能可能会阻碍向有复杂（且昂贵）需求的申请人分配住房。这强化了住房协会房源分配中日益增加的选择性，这与市场化以及一些提供者日益商业化的前景相关。可能会产生进一步的不平等，因为虽然租户可以从住房协会扩展的服务中受益，但其他人继续依赖削弱的法定部门。
