Project summary:

This project will examine contemporary and emerging forms and mechanisms of exclusion from the housing system. Examples include new Housing Association credit checks and informal ‘traffic lights’ systems; PRS landlords’ attempts to deny tenancies to Universal Credit claimants; the responses by PRS landlords to immigration status checks; the practices of nomination agreements between local authorities and housing associations; and emerging commercial software and databases that use algorithms to generate risk profiles of potential tenants. While there is very limited published research on these new mechanisms, there is substantial informal and anecdotal evidence of their growing use and significance. In the first phase, we will produce a review of existing evidence, placing it in historical context. In the second phase, we will engage with key stakeholders to understand their perspectives and knowledge of these new forms and mechanisms of exclusion. We seek to understand in particular how they are affecting the circumstances of the most marginalised populations in the housing system and reframing their aspirations, expectations and choices.

Timeline: December 2018 – January 2020

Team: Professor John Flint, Professor David Robinson, Dr Kim McKee (Co-Investigators), Dr Jenny Preece, Dr Emma Bimpson (Research Associates) and Dr Gareth Young (Knowledge Exchange)

Theme: Choice

View final report: Forms and mechanisms of exclusion in contemporary housing systems