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Despite facing major challenges, housing associations inheriting former council housing since 1997 have been highly successful in delivering improvements promised to tenants.

This is according to The impacts of housing stock transfers in urban Britain, published on 20th February by the Chartered Institute of Housing for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

Stock transfers from local authorities to housing associations have now been taking place for over 20 years, with well over one million tenants switching to new landlords in the process. The research, led by Hal Pawson at Heriot-Watt University, looked at transfers taking place in the decade from 1997. This saw the transfer process extending beyond its original focus on relatively affluent rural shire districts, to encompass large cities and other urban areas. Many of these transfers involved run-down, poverty-stricken estates. As well as overhauling dilapidated blocks, many such transfers aimed to reverse neighbourhood decline, and sometimes remedy a legacy of mediocre housing management.

The researchers found that post-1997 transfer housing associations have typically upgraded estates to standards appreciably higher than originally promised. Almost half (45 per cent) implemented local property upgrade standards ‘much higher’ than the English ‘Decent Homes Standard’ or its Scottish and Welsh equivalents. Many transfer housing associations have also generated procurement and other efficiency savings and ploughed them into enhanced modernisation specifications or originally unplanned works such as environmental improvements.

Hal Pawson, lead author of the study, said: “Most of the transfer housing associations we looked at have become involved in neighbourhood regeneration – including social and economic renewal – to a much greater degree than anticipated at the time of transfer. Most have developed community facilities and contributed to community services beyond housing management. In this sense, they have delivered ‘added value’ over and above what was originally expected.

“Transfer has also provided a substantial stimulus to tenant involvement, collectively and individually. Likewise, the priority accorded to tenants’ views has been significantly greater than was typically true for pre-stock transfer local authority housing departments.

“On estate management, the transfer process has contributed to a more business-like, more consumer-focused social housing sector. An asset management culture is embedded in stock transfer housing associations in a way that was never typically true of traditional council housing.”