Management of Privatised Housing: International Policies and Practice

This book explores the challenges for housing management in privatised housing estates with mixed ownership in nine European countries, plus Australia and China.

Using a common analytical framework for the analysis of national policies and specific case studies, it focuses on these central questions:

· Which privatisation policies have been pursued by governments, public and private landlords in European countries?

· Which management problems occur in privatised estates in Eastern and Western European countries?

· What innovative approaches have been developed to deal with management in such estates?

· What differences and similarities can be found in problems and responses between Western and Eastern European countries?

· To what extent can policies and practices be transferred between countries?

Individual chapters combine the theoretical and methodological discussions with empirical insights from reviewing particular case studies in different countries. The case studies highlight the diversity of post–privatization policies and their impact on organizational structure and built environment, as well as policy innovations.

Each chapter’s case study examines:

· Policy/strategy: The way in which the management is being stimulated or carried out by government, landlords and/or individuals

· Financial resources: Private and public finance available and/or used for housing management

· Human resources: The available manpower, knowledge & skills

· Culture: The common values, standards and behaviour of the people and organisations involved in housing management and the behaviour

· Organisational structure: The institutional and/or organisational structure, division of tasks and responsibilities relating to various functions of housing management

· Legal framework: Legislation and procedures used to regulate housing management

· The built environment: The housing form and quality.

Drawing on the research findings and discussions in the comparative and case study sections, the concluding chapter provides insights into theoretical contributions, research needs, and the policy and planning agenda that will support better understanding of management challenges in housing estates with mixed ownership.

INTRODUCTION: Conceptual Framework.

Part I – CASE STUDIES FROM WESTERN EUROPE AND AUSTRALIA.

England, The Netherlands, France, Switzerland, Australia.

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Part II – CASE STUDIES FROM EASTERN EUROPE AND CHINA.

Serbia, The Czech Republic, Slovenia, Russia, Moldova, China.

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POST–PRIVATISATION IN HOUSING: POLICY AND RESEACH AGENDA.

In order to facilitate cross–national analyses, all chapters are written according to the same general format. This format consists of four sections:.

Section 1: Description of national housing context in country X.

– a description of the national composition of the housing stock according to tenure, size, and dwelling type, supported by statistics;.

– a general description of the housing system: which organisations develop and manage the housing stock; what are government regulations for housing development and management concerning rent setting, allocations, sales, maintenance and renewal, and tenant involvement; how are the landlords supervised (by whom and on what basis); what financial support exists for housing management, renewal and development (exploitation grants, subsidies for renewals, government loans, government guarantees, housing grants)?.

– a general description of the situation on the housing market: shortages and surpluses according region, dwelling type, tenure and price.

– a reflection on the occurrence of housing problems, problematic neighbourhoods, vacancies, etc..

Section 2: Privatisation in country X.

– a reflection on the privatisation policies in the past decades;.

– description on the occurrence of privatisation, supported by statistics of the pace of privatisation (quantities);.

– a description of the conditions under which dwellings were sold: price and the division of management responsibilities between landlords and homeowner;.

– an analysis of the challenges for maintenance and renewal of the partly–privatised estates;.

– an analysis of the institutional, organisational, cultural, social and financial problems of management;.

– policies and (innovative) practices that have been or are being implemented to deal with these problems..

Section 3: Case study.

Describes one or more case studies of partly privatised estates. These cases may be selected on the basis of their representation of common problems and/or solutions in country X and/or on the basis of the innovative ‘best practice’ approach that has been undertaken to deal with the problems. The section about the case study will consist of:.

– a description the estate (quality, division according to tenure, price, position on the housing market);.

– a reflection on the privatisation process (pace, background, conditions);.

– a description of social, functional and technical problems that occur in the estate and the problems of management, maintenance and renewal;.

– a reflection on to what extent the above problems are caused or increased by the privatisation;.

– a reflection on the initiatives that have been and will be undertaken to cope with the problems and their (expected) success..

Section 4: Conclusion.

Contains a brief summary of the chapter plus an outlook for the future problems/challenges.

Editors:

Vincent Gruis is assistant professor of housing at Delft University of Technology, Faculty of Architecture, Department of Real Estate & Housing. He has a PhD in Housing and conducts research and is a consultant in the area of housing management and urban renewal. Dr. Gruis has published extensively in well–known international and national journals on housing and his teaching includes MSc courses on Urban Development, Housing Management, Housing Policy and Urban Management.

Sasha Tsenkova is professor of international development at the University of Calgary, Canada. She has a PhDs in Architecture and in Planning. Her research and consultancy experience in housing policy and urban development in more than 30 countries in North America, Western and Eastern Europe and South–east Asia. She is a consultant to the World Bank, the United Nations in New York and Geneva, the Canadian International Development Agency and the Council of Europe.

Contributors:

Frederic Bougrain – Centre Scientifique et Technique du Bâtiment, France

Limei Chen – City University of Hong Kong, China

Patrick Dogge – Trudo housing association, The Netherlands

Martin Lux – Institute of Sociology, Academy of Sciences, Czech Republic

Vivienne Milligan – Australian Housing & Urban Research Institute, University of Sydney, Australia

Alan Murie – University of Birmingham, United Kingdom

Djordje Mojovic – UN Habitat, Serbia

David Ousby – Prospect Row LLP, United Kingdom

Maria Plotnikova – Centre for Public Policy for Regions, University of Strathclyde & University of Glasgow, United Kingdom

Bill Randolph – City Futures Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Australia

Richard Sendi – Urban Planning Institute of the Republic of Slovenia, Slovenia

Jos Smeets – University of Eindhoven, The Netherlands

Rob Soeterbroek – University of Eindhoven, The Netherlands

Joris E. van Wezemael – University of Zurich, Switzerland

"It is very interesting to read about the background and consequences of public housing privatisation in all these countries . . . That said, the editors present a very useful reference book on housing privatisation and management across countries. Keeping in mind their caveat that the book is strictly explorative in nature, it can certainly be considered a good basis for some more fundamental work on the topic in the future." (Journal Housing & the Built Environment, 2011)

"This book is worth reading for scholars and researchers as well as for practitioners. The volume sheds considerable light on the consequences of privatisation of public housing." (International Journal of Housing Policy, September 2010)