Embedding financialization: a policy review of the English Affordable Homes Programme

Stewart Smyth

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

8 Citations (Scopus)
173 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Decent, affordable housing continues to be a major concern for policy-makers, providers and society at large. This paper contributes to the debate over the future of social housing in England by reviewing the Affordable Homes Programme (AHP). The AHP (2011–2015) saw the level of grant funding reduced dramatically; with the shortfall to be filled from housing associations own resources, increased rents and borrowing. To understand the implications of the AHP, this paper utilizes the concept of financialization. Financialization is a multifaceted process that seeks to explain the increased role and power of the financial markets in society. Specifically, the paper shows that the AHP leads to increased debt levels in the social housing sector, is predicated on short-termism and accumulation by dispossession. Finally, by employing financialization the paper also addresses debates about the nature of housing policy and how it can best be conceptualized.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)142-161
Number of pages19
JournalHousing Studies
Volume34
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 26 Apr 2018

Keywords

  • Affordable Homes Programme
  • housing policy
  • finacialization
  • England
  • social housing

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