Integrated Social Housing: Implications for New Build
by Brendan Murtagh and Shauna McDaid, Social and Community Sciences, University of Ulster 2000
A research report to the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, Equality Unit NISRA, Community Relations Council
Section 1 Introduction
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1.1 Background
Deepening patterns of residential segregation have been one of the obvious manifestations of violence, mutual mistrust and social distance. As a strategy for coping with internecine conflict it has had strong benefits for those seeking protection, community solidarity and cultural enrichment. The greatest impact of segregation has been on the social rented sector where the correlation with poverty and unemployment make it a particularly intractable issue to confront. The Housing Executive have reshaped the physical fabric of Northern Ireland and have had to contend with the routine effects on segregation on area decline, planning decisions and management of some of the most violent parts of the province. Responding to the worst effects of segregation and holding, where possible, stable communities has characterised management decisions and practice. However, successive public attitude surveys have suggested that most tenants wanted an integrated housing option (NIHE, 2000). This contrasts with behavioural patterns and the choice of segregated housing at the preferred pattern of living. This research aims to make some sense of these contradictions and ambiguities in a policy sense. Research on territoriality and the geographic distribution of religions has concentrated on the processes and effects of segregation. Boal's seminal work on territoriality (see Boal, 1996 for a review) set the context for more detailed mapping exercises (Poole and Doherty, 1996), studies on policy responses (Bollens, 1999) and the meaning of place in the wider geo-politics of Northern Ireland (Graham, 1997). However, relatively few studies have explored the extent of residential integration, where it occurs in the socio-spatial structure or how it could be developed and maintained. The potential to experiment with new forms of integrated housing and draw wider lessons from such experimentation provides a central focus for this research.
1.2 Research questions
This study builds on previous and current research on the nature of integrated communities. This is an issue wider than housing and holds deep political dangers especially when evaluating alternative residential development options. In the context of internecine conflict, there has been little prospect but to facilitate the wishes of people in choice of neighbourhoods. McPeake (1998) demonstrated the importance of religion as a variable in the housing search decisions of homeowners and the University of Ulster showed how 'dual' housing markets characterised the private sector in Craigavon (Paris et al. 1998). There are, therefore, clear constraints on the extent to which integration can be planned at the outset and any attempt to develop 'model' or 'demonstration' schemes need to be grounded in the reality of local circumstances. Three factors provide an important context for research on integrated housing:
* The peace process has created new political space for debates about sharing and The Agreement specifically highlighted the need to consider and encourage integrated housing. The broader political climate, the establishment of the Department for Social Development and the prominence given to the equity agenda all suggest that the possibility of an alternative to social and spatial segregation.
* The Housing Executive has investigated the problem of segregation of public sector housing estates and how best to develop suitable policy and practice responses to it. The latest research as part of the Toward a Community Relations Strategy (NIHE, 1999)has produced some excellent research and analysis and has grappled with the possibilities as well as obvious limitations on this area of policy development. This research aims to build on this work both empirically as well as conceptually.
* The DoENI, Shaping our Future, Regional Planning Framework for Northern
Ireland highlights the need to promote integrated housing options where
possible as the third strategic objectives guiding policy (SPG 3 Developing
Community Cohesion). The strategy suggests the need to translate these aspirations
into specific spatial contexts and stresses the priority attached to reducing
the worst consequences of residential segregation in Northern Ireland.
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