Community Cohesion: The Role of the Housing

1. Community Cohesion: The Role of the Housing

2. Ted Cantle Professor, Institute of Community Cohesion (iCoCo)

3. Introduction: Community Cohesion – A New Framework for Race and Diversity Emerged after 2001….. • Polarised & segregated communities • Parallel lives • Ignorance, fear & demonisation • Lack of leadership & values • Initiatives reinforced difference & separation

4. Community Cohesion is • Promoting a common sense of belonging • Positively valuing diversity • Tackling disadvantage and inequalities, but not just by punitive measures • Promoting interaction in the workplace, schools and neighbourhoods, to fundamentally change attitudes and values

5. Community Cohesion has developed • Now applies to faith, age, sexual orientation, travellers, social class – not just ethnicity • The Muslim community, has been a focus of Government policy and programmes • New focus on rural areas – EU migration • And also the White community, coming to terms with change - and ‘super diversity’….

6. …Super Diversity - A changing word • In 1965 75m people lived outside the home country –few Brits even had holidays abroad; • Now 200m and 600,000 Brits live in Spain, more in other countries (200,000 NZ); 3m with 2nd homes • 25m tourists to UK each year , 70m from UK to global destinations • Globalisation is real: international students, brands, internet – and growing!

7. Super Diversity - not just about numbers • Broader Diversity: Over 300 languages in London schools; 65 in Boston, Lincs • EU migration, new areas • Faith – and all diversity • And population ‘churn’

8. Super Diversity is also about ‘identity’ • From ‘defensive’ multiculturalism to active engagement and building commonalities • With diaspora identities competing with national identity – new faith new identities • Development of ‘Britishness’ and citizenship agenda and becoming ‘global citizens’ • The identity challenge for young people…..

10. Super diversity and identity • Hybrid, fluid and sequential identities • Relationship between citizen and state • And relationship between different citizens • Impacts on social capital too

11. And not all comfortable with diversity….. • Ethnic and faith conflicts in South Africa, France, Australia, UK, many other countries • Demands to limit migration • Growth of extreme right • Divisions & tensions within communities & neighbourhoods

12. Managing new (Identity) Interfaces • No longer a ‘black’ and ‘white’ issue • Between and within BME communities and all differences • Monitoring and anticipating tensions and conflict • Views of young people themselves – and is the emerging gang culture the new family? • Communications faster than ever – rumours, blogs, pirate radio, Facebook

13. The Management of Settlement - problems • Managed migration in economic terms but less attention to social & community • New migrant ‘handbooks’ and welcome packs but much less attention to ‘host’ community • Resources conflicts are sometimes real particularly schools and housing, just as a result of population growth

14. The Management of Settlement - problems • Long standing patterns of segregation, by ethnicity and faith • And social class • New movement – ‘White Flight’? • New migrant patterns • Evidence from schools analysis

15. Housing as a strategic partner

16. Housing as a strategic partner • Part of team to develop cohesion across all agencies and in public, private and voluntary sector • Cross-agency, cross-party, cross-sector, to create a new moral climate of opinion • About vision and leadership of community • New focus on ‘place-making’ • And create a sense of belonging

20. Housing – Practical Collaboration at a local and regional level

21. Housing – Practical Collaboration at a local and regional level • Share data – particularly on knowing new communities and mapping, to build real time picture of community • finger on the pulse at all times – work with all agencies • part of tension monitoring work – front line staff and delivery partners

22. Housing – Practical Collaboration at a local and regional level • And more open about policies –prepared to discuss & change priorities with more involvement • See difference between perception and reality • Work with newcomers and existing residents • Create schemes that bring people together, rather than divide them

23. Housing – Changing peoples attitudes towards ‘others’

24. Housing – Changing peoples attitudes towards client groups and ‘others’ • Supporting changes in attitudes towards all minorities and demonised groups • Breaking down myths and stereotypes • Providing a safe place for discussion of difference • And opportunity to ask ‘ignorant’ questions • And to challenge

25. Housing – Changing peoples attitudes towards client groups and ‘others’ • Specific responsibilities to ‘others’ • Social class, GRT, LGBT, disability groups • Older people • Special needs and learning difficulties • ASB and hate crime

26. Housing – as a creator of communities

27. Housing – as a creator of communities • New developments – planning mixed communities? • Allocation of properties • What is the Vision of ‘integration’? • One aspect of ‘parallel lives’ – various ‘layers of separation’ – but…

28. Housing – as a creator of communities • but… recognise profound impact on incidental or banal encounters • and longer term and sustainability agenda • Influence on other providers, especially schools • ‘mixed’ means social class, ethnicity, age, disability and other

29. Housing – as a creator of communities • Creating shared spaces – by design • Community facilities • Employment patterns and opportunities • Engagement and role of tenants and residents groups • Community leaders – gatekeepers or gateways

30. Housing – as a creator of communities • Building social capital – re-emphasise role of local institutions and social networks in communities • Neighbourliness and well being emphasis • Possibility of reduced social care and other costs

31. The power of community cohesion to create change

32. The power of community cohesion to create change • Choose projects with shared purpose • But using innovation and creativity to excite people – even have fun • Safe and neutral spaces to challenge prejudices and stereotypes • Work with schools - duty to promote community cohesion in England

33. The power of community cohesion to create change • Contact is the most effective way of tackling stereotypes and myths and creating respect and trust • Danger of Single Group or Identity Funding and Area based schemes, in competition with others • Incentivise collaboration and thematic programmes to bring people together

34. The power of community cohesion to create change • Aimed at wider community, not just service users • To develop new ‘gateway’ community leaders rather than rely on gatekeepers • To build long term change – link programmes into civil society and mainstream programmes

35. Working together • Work with partners – in schools, with statutory, private and other voluntary organisations • Share data, be part of local and regional collaboration; share tension monitoring role • Reinforce each others messages • Make projects sustainable - build the work into mainstream and into civil society

36. Working together • Creating diversity advantage – sense of excitement and fun – a forward vision • Work with the press and media and consider impact – perception is more powerful than reality • New messages – local Housing leaders, celebrities, employers, sportspeople – may be more credible that political leaders • Work with local community leaders – from ‘gatekeepers’ to ‘gateways’ • Create new strategic partnership and purpose

37. Let’s Build Upon Success

38. Ted Cantle Book: Community Cohesion - A New Framework for Race and Diversity www.cohesioninstitute.org.uk