Housing benefit crucial to combat poverty

The European Commission-funded report says government policy can play a crucial role in weakening the links between poverty and poor housing.

The study, which took place in six European countries with varying welfare systems, says housing outcomes such as affordability, physical and space standards and neighbourhood quality are driven by housing conditions in the country as a whole, reflecting not only general living standards but housing interventions.

The study comes at a time when the UK government is proposing to reduce housing benefit payments, placing a cap on the amounts that can be claimed, and setting rents at a lower rate.

Mark Stephens, professor in urban economics at the University of Glasgow and leader of the study, underlined the importance of housing benefit in the UK.

‘Social security benefits do not make any allowance for housing costs,’ he said. ‘Consequently, the impacts of restrictions are likely to be severe.’

The study also highlights the stronger role housing systems must play in labour market strategies. Many were deemed inflexible, posing problems for people with fluctuating incomes, insecure employment or who need to move to find work.

It found short term changes to the labour market rarely result in homelessness, as long as welfare support is available, but longer term unemployment is more of a problem.

Professor Suzanne Fitzpatrick, until recently director of the Centre for Housing Policy at the University of York, who led the homelessness strand in the project, said: ‘This is especially the case in pressurised regions and where social housing providers are not obliged to prioritise those in greatest need.’

Inside Housing is running a campaign calling for the government to find alternative ways to reduce the housing benefit bill.

Visit our What’s the Benefit? page for more information or sign our petition to support the campaign

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