This guest blog is written by Dr Rachel Parker, who recently completed a PhD on how the wealthy and politically powerful engage with and influence housing development projects in the UK and Tanzania.
Summary
Economic, social and cultural Rights (ESCR) – such as the right to adequate housing – are essential human rights but are too often undermined by development practices that prioritise profit over people.
This blog introduces the ways in which current housing development approaches in the UK fail to uphold these rights, and explores how a rights-based, people-centred alternative is both necessary and possible.
Introduction
Housing developers and those who hold political power at times frame their actions around a desire to meet the needs of individuals and populations. This is, for example, a recurring theme within The London Plan.
Unfortunately, this is often not the reality. The pursuit of profit and prestige by powerful individuals results in new housing development projects being targeted at the wealthy, which frequently results in existing populations being out-priced and displaced.
An example of this is the demolition and re-development of public housing estates. These re-developments have resulted in the short and long-term displacement of thousands of families (Elmer and Dening, 2016), wide ranging negative social and economic impacts on those who have been affected (Watt, 2021), and often an overall reduction in social and affordable housing (Lees, 2014). This showcases processes of urban development that, at their heart, are profit driven and not people driven.
Calling governments to account
This culture in housing development, that enables the most powerful and wealthy to disproportionately influence how cities evolve and are shaped, has been a key aspect of the research I have been involved in. Especially how this group utilise both formal processes and informal dynamics to promote the construction of investment properties as opposed to affordable homes.
Examples of informal dynamics include prestigious social networks, specific political ideas, and flows of money. This often results in housing developments that are mutually beneficial for the political and wealthy elite, at the expense of meeting the needs of existing populations.
The consequences of these visible and invisible dynamics have been challenged by the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR), a committee that sits within the United Nations (UN).
The role of CESCR is to provide recommendations to governments globally on how to address violations of human rights within their countries. In their most recent recommendations to the UK Government, alongside other areas of concern, they advocated for housing reform that centres around the needs of individuals, including housing that meets people’s specific needs, for example, single mothers, immigrants and those that are unemployed.
Their recommendations are underpinned by the human right “to an adequate standard of living”. A key aspect of which is access to secure, affordable, adequate housing for the whole of society.
Shifting housing priorities from profit to people.
For the recommendations of the CESCR to become a reality, a fundamental shift in how housing development is approached is needed.
The findings of my own research revealed that within the UK, the pursuit of profit is perceived as a priority, especially among the political and wealth elite. It is argued by this group that a greater influx of wealth and investment into the country will over time benefit the whole of society (Harvey, 2007). However, the pursuit of profit by housing developers and governments has only contributed towards a housing crisis, especially in prime city locations (Minton, 2017). A shift is needed. Housing must be viewed not through the lens of investment and profit, but through the lens of being a necessary human right.
Being part of the change
Just Fair, and those who support it, are in a unique position to contribute. There is no denying that changing the priorities around housing feels ambitious. However, the recommendations published by CESCR for the UK reflect many of the concerns that Just Fair contributed as evidence to their final report.
Just Fair submitted two reports as part of this process – the first of which my research contributed to – drawing on research into how elite influence shapes housing development in ways that undermine the right to adequate housing.
This evidence, together with that submitted by others, provides a strong foundation on which the UN and wider society can challenge the UK Government and private sector on vital human rights issues. A central aspect to this is to address the prevailing inequalities in housing development processes within the UK. Critically, advocating for a shift in focus from profit-driven agendas to people-driven equitable approaches.
The discussion within this blog draws on aspects of Dr Rachel Parker’s PhD thesis which focused on how elite actors shape processes of urban real estate development. This research project took place within a wider White Rose Doctoral Training Partnership, which involved a research network that included Just Fair and was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council.
The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Just Fair.
Get involved
Read Rachel’s evidence to our CESCR submission
Join the UK ESCR Network
