Community Cohesion: The Role of the Housing

Ted Cantle

Professor, Institute of Community Cohesion (iCoCo)

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

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

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’….

…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!

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’

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…..

Super diversity and identity

• Hybrid, fluid and sequential identities

• Relationship between citizen and state

• And relationship between different citizens

• Impacts on social capital too

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

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

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

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

Housing as a strategic partner

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

Housing – Practical Collaboration at a local and regional level

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

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

Housing – Changing peoples attitudes towards ‘others’

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

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

Housing – as a creator of communities

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…

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

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

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

The power of community cohesion to create change

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

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

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

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

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

Let’s Build Upon Success

Ted CantleBook: Community Cohesion - A New Framework for Race and Diversity

www.cohesioninstitute.org.uk