Poverty and home ownership in contemporary Britain

Description

Half of those living in poverty in Britain today are homeowners. Yet current government policy is not orientated to this reality. Policies aimed at those living in poverty are heavily skewed towards those living in rented accomodation. This report demonstrates the urgent need to re-evaluate our understanding of both poverty and home ownership. Drawing on data from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation's Poverty and Social Exclusion Survey of Britain, it presents a detailed picture of the realities of home ownership at the margins and provides evidence in support of the need for radical changes in policy towards sustainable home ownership. The report: examines the relationship between poverty and home ownership in contemporary Britain; analyses the Poverty and Social Exclusion Survey - a data source expressly designed for the purposes of measuring poverty; concludes that we need to rethink dominant perceptions about poverty and housing tenure; and makes the case for the need to re-evaluate the role of the state in assisting with housing costs. The report's findings are important reading for housing and social policy academics and analysts and policy makers working at the interface of housing and social security policy. Mortgage lenders will also find the report valuable reading, as will anyone interested in housing and poverty.

Roger Burrows is Professor of Social Policy and the Co-Director of the Centre for Housing Policy at the University of York. He has published widely on: the sociology of housing and neighbourhoods; health; and social aspects of information and communication technologies. His most recent book is the co-authored Home Ownership in a Risk Society (Policy Press, 2001).

"This (welcomingly short) report deals with the complexities of poverty definition in very accessible form." Housing Studies "... important reading for policy makers and academics with an interest in housing and social protection." SPA News