module specification

Housing Issues and Housing Solutions outlines the key issues that face people working in housing, residents and community workers. It will provide a policy context, but will focus on a practical approach to dealing with community-related & housing issues, their causes and solutions. It will examine the rights and obligations of residents and identify good practice in key management areas such as resident involvement, dealing with anti-social behaviour and disrepair. Combined with other modules in the faculty, such as ‘Housing and Homelessness’, this module provides a housing pathway for students wishing to develop or further their careers in this area. The module runs for 15 weeks, and is assessed by an essay, a report and an interactive Weblearn test.

The module aims to:
• Place changes in housing management in the context of wider social, economic and organisational changes; (A01)
• Introduce the key practical issues facing housing professionals, and good practice in addressing these issues; (A02)
• Identify ways in which housing service users and community workers can challenge poor performance and get involved in service improvement; (A03)
• Examine the benefits and challenges of partnership working in dealing with housing issues; (A04)
• Explain current discussions on the balance of rights and responsibilities for social housing tenants and other local residents. (A05)

1. affordability and welfare benefits;
2. dealing with homelessness;
3. housing rights and resident involvement in decision making;
4. disrepair and housing improvement;
5. linking housing and worklessness;
6. services to residents with disabilities (particularly mental health problems);
7. housing ‘rights’ and ‘obligations’, particularly in relation to anti-social behaviour;
8. the complaints process; and
9. identifying and implementing good practice.

Key issues will be introduced through lectures. Students will discuss good practice and other issues in small groups. Weblearn resources will be used extensively. Guest speakers will provide current best practice in the housing profession.

On successful completion of this module, students will be able to:
1. Critically assess key practical issues that face housing professionals in providing good services to residents; (L01)
2. Analyse ways in which housing, community and other professionals can work together to resolve these issues; (L02)
3. Critically explore how social housing tenants and other local residents can be involved in decision making; (L03)
4. Evaluate current practice in social housing management, and implementation of good practice (L04); and
5. Examine and explain the interrelationship between residents’ rights and obligations. (L05)

The assessment will be:
• An essay (1500 words), critically examining a one of the principles of housing management (LO3) (LO5)
• A report (1500 words) focusing on resolving real-world challenges to housing professionals and residents. Students are required explain how they would work with residents to resolve problems, identify relevant best practice in the housing field and produce reasoned and reasonable responses to the problems outlined (LO1) (LO2) (LO4)
• A test to confirm that students are engaging with Weblearn. This is pass/fail

Current good practice will be provided on Weblearn.
Audit Commission. 2007. Key Lines of Enquiry. Covering: stock investment and asset management; tenancy and estate management; housing income management; resident involvement; allocations and lettings; diversity; customer care and access; value for money.
Audit Commission. 2002. Learning from inspection: repairs and maintenance. London: Audit Commission.
Tenant Services Authority. 2010. Taking action against anti-social behaviour. London: TSA
Chartered Institute of Housing. 2009. Equality, Diversity and Good Relations in Housing. Chartered Institute of Housing.
Audit Commission. 2005. Housing: improving service through resident participation. London: Audit Commission
Communities and Local Government. 2009. Empowering Communities to Influence Local Decision Making: Evidence-based lessons for Policy Makers and Practitioners. CLG Publications. 
Communities and Local Government. 2010. Localism: the essential guide. London: CLG Publications.
The Chartered Institute of Housing website has information relevant to this module: www.cih.org