Cohesion Counts

Supporting People to Move to Areas with Little Diversity

This is a Cohesion Counts overview of the project. Click here for the project leader’s report.

Background
Research objectives
Methodology
Conclusions
Recommendations

Background

Why the Research was Commissioned

Oldham and Rochdale are both areas with some ethnically segregated housing markets. This applies to both the socially rented and private sectors. The South Asian heritage population is growing and needs move outside the traditional areas. There have been schemes within Oldham and Rochdale to support people to move to non-traditional areas. We thought this wealth of experience would allow a good study of the impact of such activity.

(back to top)

Research Objectives

We wanted to identify the advantages and disadvantages of such schemes from the perspective of stakeholders, supported residents and the wider community. We also wanted to find out if the schemes had contributed to creating integrated and cohesive neighbourhoods.

(back to top)

Methodology

Interviews took place with supported residents, the wider community and stakeholders.

(back to top)

Conclusions

Both schemes responded to the needs of BME communities who were disproportionately affected by overcrowding and poor housing.

One scheme was developed in an area with a lot of empty properties, enabling a number of families to move in together. There was initially strong resistance from the host community and many instances of racist behaviour towards the new residents. The authorities had to respond strongly and some families were removed because of their anti social behaviour. Others chose to leave. This is now an estate where Asian families choose to live. It has become almost an extension to the traditional areas.

The other scheme was focused over a wider area where there were already a few households from different ethnic groups. The scheme targeted people from a range of ethnic groups and included work with the host community and activities to bring people together. At the moment the area appears to be well integrated with reasonable cohesion between residents.

(back to top)

Recommendations

1. A Community Induction programme should have well thought out objectives and monitoring in place to see how far these objectives are achieved.
2. There is possibly a greater chance of success if a range of ethnic groups are supported to move into a non traditional area. This makes it more likely an area will be perceived as mixed rather than for one group or another.
3. CIPs may be more successful if they are targeted at a wider area – although this will obviously depend on the stock available.
4. Where an identified area has problems such as ASB, the problems should be tackled first, so action is not associated with the newly arriving community.
5. There are benefits to moving a group of families together for mutual support; they are less vulnerable individually for targeted discrimination.
6. It is important to consult with the host community before implementing a scheme so that the community understand why the scheme is running, what some of the benefits of ethnic and cultural diversity could be and what steps the agencies will take to reduce any harassment directed at new households.
7. There should be a co-ordinated agency response to any incidences of hate crime and racial harassment.
8. The support package should be flexible; some people may need practical help and others emotional.
9. Future integration will be more successful if community based activities are provided to bring people together after they move in.

(back to top)