Social Housing and its Bearing on the Tenants’ Social Mobility

Abstract

The objective of the paper is to conceptualise how social housing impacts the life of tenants and how it affects their social mobility. Firstly, the paper looks at defining social housing to helps us get a better understanding of the subject matter. It highlights that social housing is a residential rental space provided at specific rates to be afforded by those who are considered vulnerable in society. It is a tool to improve the lives of those in vulnerable positions due to poverty, disability and mental issues to mention just a few. Children who live and grow up in stable social housing will have a better chance at accessing education, their wellbeing will be more positive, increased job prospects and a better outlook on opportunities. Secondly, the paper addressed the impacts social housing has and its effects on social mobility for tenants. It discusses how income plays a vital role in obtaining social housing, how the wellbeing of tenants is essential in fostering a better self, how individuals who live in social housing can come together and form communities to deter crime, how living in safe social housing can impact positively effect on mental health, how it encourages tenants to find work and how it helps children strive for better and manage to break the cycle of poverty. However, notwithstanding the positive, social housing is not perfect and if not taken care of and is not funded properly then it could be a detriment to tenants’ social mobility. Methodology Desk research was carried out to identify an in-depth understanding of the topic. Apart from this, key experts from the Faculty for Social Wellbeing shared their expertise through various informal discussions.