Towards the affordable workhome: A community-based initiative with home-based workers in social housing
Lead Research Organisation:
London Metropolitan University
Department Name: Cities Institute
Abstract
This interdisciplinary project used innovative Open Space, Participatory Design and Community Journalism methodologies to achieve a high level of engagement with a previously hidden and disconnected community.
Four community-based events were held, at which participants engaged with each other and with a research team consisting of architects, a sociologist of home-based work and a community journalist, to explore the issues that stand in the way of residents of home-based work engaging in home-based work. The Housing Trust partner reversed their policy towards home-based work at the outset of the project, from prohibition to support and encouragement. This provided a secure base from which to run the project. Legitimising existing, and supporting prospective, home-based working social residents, the project contributed to the development of social and economic connectivity and a sense of community amongst a previously illicit workforce. This project has an ongoing legacy in the form of a lively and productive monthly Enterprise Club, an Emerging Enterprise pilot project for home-based workers run by the Housing Trust and a dedicated page for home-based work on the Housing Trust's website.
Four community-based events were held, at which participants engaged with each other and with a research team consisting of architects, a sociologist of home-based work and a community journalist, to explore the issues that stand in the way of residents of home-based work engaging in home-based work. The Housing Trust partner reversed their policy towards home-based work at the outset of the project, from prohibition to support and encouragement. This provided a secure base from which to run the project. Legitimising existing, and supporting prospective, home-based working social residents, the project contributed to the development of social and economic connectivity and a sense of community amongst a previously illicit workforce. This project has an ongoing legacy in the form of a lively and productive monthly Enterprise Club, an Emerging Enterprise pilot project for home-based workers run by the Housing Trust and a dedicated page for home-based work on the Housing Trust's website.
Publications
Holliss F
(2013)
Home-based work: a quiet casualty of the bedroom tax
Holliss F
(2015)
Beyond Live/Work: the architecture of home-based work
| Description | Home-based work is problematic for residents of social housing, which is generally designed to precent this working practice and managed through tenancy agreements that prohibit it. The social tenant participants in this project were very keen to work, but struggled to create successful home-based businesses because they 1) lacked necessary literacy and numeracy skills 2) lacked necessary start-up funding form small pieces of equipment eg an ironing press 3) had limited social capital and therefore found it difficult to get their business going 4) found the standard 'Business Plan' route to developing their business difficult to relate to and inappropriate to their circumstances 5) inhabited deprived neighbourhoods where the local people lacked the resources to use the services they were developing eg an ironing service. |
| Exploitation Route | More work is needed to 1) develop social housing designed to accommodate home-based work 2) develop adult literacy/ numeracy, or home-based work that can be carried out by people with limited literacy/ numeracy eg the Community Foster Care project, Gloucestershire. |
| Sectors | Agriculture, Food and Drink,Communities and Social Services/Policy,Creative Economy,Environment,Healthcare,Retail |
| Description | Newlon Housing Trust (NHT) altered its Standard Tenancy Agreement to support and encourage home-based work, whereas before the project it was prohibited. One of the spin-offs from the award was an on-going Enterprise Club, which met monthly in NHT community centre. NHT now fund this, and have an independent business advisor who runs monthly meetings and gives one-to-one support for NHT residents who want to start/ are running home-based businesses. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2013 |
| Sector | Other |
| Impact Types | Cultural,Societal,Economic,Policy & public services |
| Description | Home-based work in social housing |
| Organisation | Newlon Housing Trust |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Frances Holliss from Cass School of Architecture, London Metropolitan University led the research team that worked on this project. She co-devised the project and contributed her knowledge and expertise regarding the architecture of home-based work. She worked with a facilitator in leading an Open Space Meeting asking the question "How can we work together to make working at or from home a real possibility for everyone?". She led a Participatory Design Workshop and supported a Website Design Workshop. Colin Davies was co-investigator on this project. He contributed his wisdom and experience in both the development and execution of the project. Angela Lee was research assistant in this project. She co-devised the project - and organised and attended all the events, kept the records, designed the promotional materials etc etc. Andrew Parry was research assistant on this project. He made materials for and photographed/ recorded all events. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Newlon Housing Trust changed their Standard Tenancy Agreement to support and encourage home-based work. They gave the research team access to their 10,000 tenants and supported a series of events through the provision of staff and premises. Dr Carol Wolkowitz from the Sociology Department at the University of Warwick contributed to the project through her involvement in the project design, her attendance at meetings and events and through her expertise and skill in the analysis of the project and its outcomes. Paul Egglestone from the Community Journalism Department at the University of Central Lancashire contributed to the project through his involvement in the project design, his attendance at meetings and events and through his expertise and skill in the analysis of the project and its outcomes. His particular input was to create a Diary Room where he interviewed and videoed participants talking about their experience of home-based work in social housing. He led a Website Design Workshop and also filmed a Participatory Design Workshop. |
| Impact | Connected Communities Final Report Multi-disciplinary: Architecture; Sociology; Community Journalism; Housing |
| Start Year | 2010 |
| Description | Home-based work in social housing |
| Organisation | University of Central Lancashire |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Frances Holliss from Cass School of Architecture, London Metropolitan University led the research team that worked on this project. She co-devised the project and contributed her knowledge and expertise regarding the architecture of home-based work. She worked with a facilitator in leading an Open Space Meeting asking the question "How can we work together to make working at or from home a real possibility for everyone?". She led a Participatory Design Workshop and supported a Website Design Workshop. Colin Davies was co-investigator on this project. He contributed his wisdom and experience in both the development and execution of the project. Angela Lee was research assistant in this project. She co-devised the project - and organised and attended all the events, kept the records, designed the promotional materials etc etc. Andrew Parry was research assistant on this project. He made materials for and photographed/ recorded all events. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Newlon Housing Trust changed their Standard Tenancy Agreement to support and encourage home-based work. They gave the research team access to their 10,000 tenants and supported a series of events through the provision of staff and premises. Dr Carol Wolkowitz from the Sociology Department at the University of Warwick contributed to the project through her involvement in the project design, her attendance at meetings and events and through her expertise and skill in the analysis of the project and its outcomes. Paul Egglestone from the Community Journalism Department at the University of Central Lancashire contributed to the project through his involvement in the project design, his attendance at meetings and events and through his expertise and skill in the analysis of the project and its outcomes. His particular input was to create a Diary Room where he interviewed and videoed participants talking about their experience of home-based work in social housing. He led a Website Design Workshop and also filmed a Participatory Design Workshop. |
| Impact | Connected Communities Final Report Multi-disciplinary: Architecture; Sociology; Community Journalism; Housing |
| Start Year | 2010 |
| Description | Home-based work in social housing |
| Organisation | University of Warwick |
| Department | Department of Sociology |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Frances Holliss from Cass School of Architecture, London Metropolitan University led the research team that worked on this project. She co-devised the project and contributed her knowledge and expertise regarding the architecture of home-based work. She worked with a facilitator in leading an Open Space Meeting asking the question "How can we work together to make working at or from home a real possibility for everyone?". She led a Participatory Design Workshop and supported a Website Design Workshop. Colin Davies was co-investigator on this project. He contributed his wisdom and experience in both the development and execution of the project. Angela Lee was research assistant in this project. She co-devised the project - and organised and attended all the events, kept the records, designed the promotional materials etc etc. Andrew Parry was research assistant on this project. He made materials for and photographed/ recorded all events. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Newlon Housing Trust changed their Standard Tenancy Agreement to support and encourage home-based work. They gave the research team access to their 10,000 tenants and supported a series of events through the provision of staff and premises. Dr Carol Wolkowitz from the Sociology Department at the University of Warwick contributed to the project through her involvement in the project design, her attendance at meetings and events and through her expertise and skill in the analysis of the project and its outcomes. Paul Egglestone from the Community Journalism Department at the University of Central Lancashire contributed to the project through his involvement in the project design, his attendance at meetings and events and through his expertise and skill in the analysis of the project and its outcomes. His particular input was to create a Diary Room where he interviewed and videoed participants talking about their experience of home-based work in social housing. He led a Website Design Workshop and also filmed a Participatory Design Workshop. |
| Impact | Connected Communities Final Report Multi-disciplinary: Architecture; Sociology; Community Journalism; Housing |
| Start Year | 2010 |