NHBC Foundation: Social housing integration doesn’t hit property prices

Research carried out by the NHBC Foundation has revealed that housing prices are not reduced on developments that successfully integrate social and private housing.

The research, ‘Tenure Integration in housing developments’, discovered that there is no truth to reports of a negative impact upon the prices of homes within mixed tenure developments as long as the housing design and quality are of a high standard.

The NHBC Foundation, working in conjunction with the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), commissioned a review of existing literature to investigate issues associated with tenure integration in new housing developments.

The report suggests that more research should be conducted into the management of mixed tenure developments and also the impact of the boom of the private housing sector. Large numbers of privately rented properties can lead to a lack of community integration due to a greater turnover of residents in these properties and a lack of management accountability from absentee landlords.

The research also found that attractive mixed-tenure developments can become over popular and ‘gentrified’ with those on low incomes becoming priced out of an area.

Nick Raynsford, Chairman of the NHBC Foundation, said that there had previously been a flawed assumption that people with different economic or social status should be housed in separate locations. This has a knock on effect of deprivation and social exclusion on stigmatised ‘sink estates’.

Mr Raynsford said: “The move to promote integrated tenure over the past two decades is entirely understandable and appropriate. But inevitably questions have been raised about how this is best achieved and how to respond to potential problems.

“This report reviews the evidence about tenure integration in new housing developments and provides a very useful summary covering a range of different themes. Most of the conclusions are encouraging.

“The evidence does not suggest that there are immovable barriers to successful mixed-tenure developments, and demonstrates that fears that such developments will threaten the value of owner-occupied housing are not substantiated.

“They do point to the need for careful planning and good design to ensure the creation of successful communities and they reinforce the case for high-quality management.”

Jane Briginshaw, Head of Design and Sustainability at the HCA said: “I am pleased to help shed light on such an important issue and on some of the myths that surround it. The report shows how integrated housing can increase social cohesion and does not negatively affect house prices when associated with high standards.”

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