The effects of rent restructuring on social housing in English rural areas

This paper discusses the impact of central government's rent restructuring policy on social housing in rural areas in England. It examines the effect that restructuring will have on the rents set by social landlords in a set of case study areas then considers some of the likely impacts on affordability and on new investment in rural social housing. One of the primary aims of rent restructuring policy is to reduce unjustifiable differences between the rents of similar dwellings in the local authority and Registered Social Landlord sectors locally. This aim seems likely to be achieved. In doing so, it is likely that affordability will be reduced in the local authority sector but enhanced for tenants of some RSLs. However, the reduction in real RSL rents that improve affordability may further constrain RSLs’ ability to invest in new social housing in rural areas. The paper concludes that rent restructuring by itself will not materially improve the housing prospects of the less well off in rural areas.     

广东省住房保障适度水平分析

住房保障在民生问题中越来越突出,也成为人们越来越关注的一个问题。文章借鉴穆怀中教授的社会保障适度适度水平的测算模型,构造一个住房保障适度水平测算模型。并借鉴发达国家住房保障经验数据对各模型系数进行估计,结合具体情况得出广东省住房保障适度水平区间为0.83%~2.21%。而广东省住房保障水平仅为0.2%,远未达到适度水平下限,政府对住房保障的投入力度远远不够。随着经济水平的不断发展,广东省需要不断加大对中低收入群体的住房保障力度,提高住房保障水平。     

Privatising social housing in Taiwan

This article first reviews how the concept of privatisation has been referred to in the current restructuring of the social housing system, especially in the case of the UK. The term 'privatisation' is then examined in greater detail and its wider meaning is discussed. By using the network approach, privatisation in relation to housing can be understood in terms of the changing combinations of agents involved in providing social housing, which gives rise to the commodified impact on the distribution of social housing. By using the privatisation process of social housing in Taiwan as an example, three distinct combinations in terms of providing social housing are identified. With an increasing number of social housing units being provided by the marketised social housing model where private agents control the process of providing social housing, along with more market rules being involved in the provision and the partial removal of means tests in relation to the distribution of social housing, the privatisation of social housing development in Taiwan is having a major impact on equity.     

物业股权实现途径之理性思考

在我国现有的法律框架下,实现业主无偿获取物业公司股权,并由业主作为惟一股东组织和运作物业公司,以达到物业自治的目的,尚存在诸多法律上的难题.无论由开发商投资设立公司,还是业主利用共有公用的物业财产自设物业公司,均存在一定的障碍.因此,物业股权的设想并不具有现实意义.     

商品房市场空置问题分析

目前,理论界对我国的住宅空置率问题存在许多争论,一部分人将国际空置率和国内空置的概念相混淆,得出了不甚科学的结论.科学界定空置率的合理范围,能对我国住房市场的空置状况做出正确判断.     

Everybody needs good neighbours: an evaluation of an intensive project for families facing eviction

This paper presents details of a largely qualitative evaluation of an intensive multi‐method Project, with a residential component, which aims to help families facing eviction to overcome their housing‐related difficulties. The families served by the Project had a host of other problems related to parenting, with child care and protection issues, addictions and mental health difficulties figuring prominently. Just over half the referrals came from the local authority housing services, with nearly all the remainder coming from the social work department. The majority of families made good progress, but in some cases it proved harder to have an impact on parenting than on tenancy‐related matters. Nevertheless, the Project was deemed to have helped some families stay together or be reunited, resulting in substantial financial savings for social work services. Crucial ingredients were good management, stable staff, shared ‘ownership’ by other agencies, a repertoire of challenging methods, and a holistic approach.     

Can cities be held responsible for early school leaving? Evidence from the Netherlands

This paper examines if ‘naming and shaming’ is an effective tool to increase accountability in school dropout for cities with disadvantaged student populations. It argues that a comparison with other cities might be unfair if regional and population characteristics differ. It discusses the example of two Dutch new towns. The new town policy deliberately attracted low- and medium-income households in the past, such that today the population of those cities differs from other cities. We use a matching analysis to account for observed differences in population and regional characteristics. The results point out that ‘naming and shaming’ may be a dangerous policy to increase accountability: early school leaving differences are driven, to a large extent, by observed differences in population and regional characteristics.     

个人合作建房的法律分析

个人合作建房是普通公民面对高不可攀的商品房市场的一种本能抵制和自我拯救,但需要在法律上确定个人合作建房的组织形式和个人合作建房过程中的资金筹措、建设模式、项目性质和权益分配等问题的正当性和可行性,确保公民能够通过有法律保障的个人合作建房制度来实现拥有理想住房的愿望。     

变革时代的中国农村住房发展状况：成就与挑战

随着经济与社会的快速发展,我国农村住房建设取得了巨大的成就,农民居住水平得到了超前发展.然而,与此同时,住房领域的深层次问题亦逐渐显露,这主要表现在地区差异的不断扩大、居住分化的日益突出、农民迁移的深远影响和农村住房制度不断遭受冲击等方面.只有继续推动我国农村住房发展的现代化,才能应对住房领域的种种重大挑战.     

An Assessment of Sheltered Housing Design in Belfast,Northern Ireland

This article presents a UK-based research that has studied the existing sheltered or assisted living housing population and its future housing options and preferences. This meets an identified need to know and understand users' needs and requirements in much more detail that outlines what is liked and disliked by older people about sheltered housing, so that those who plan and design such housing can be aware of their views. The study also sought to understand the architects' challenges in designing and adapting this type of housing. The sheltered housing managed by housing associations in Belfast, Northern Ireland, was assessed through a series of site visits, structured interviews, and a focus group with stakeholders. Findings revealed older users' keen interest in participating in their housing needs assessment, identified building design concerns and provided recommendations for potential design guidelines.