housing developments in european countries - Department of ...
housing developments in european countries - Department of ...
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Section 2<br />
Context<br />
Context Section 2<br />
Table<br />
2.29.1<br />
Characteristics <strong>of</strong> the Hous<strong>in</strong>g Stock <strong>in</strong> the United K<strong>in</strong>gdom, 1971-1991<br />
Category %<br />
Dwell<strong>in</strong>gs by tenure, various years 1971 Owner-occupied 50.0<br />
Privately rented 19.5<br />
Rented from a registered social landlord 0.0<br />
Rented from a local authority 30.5<br />
1981 Owner-occupied 57.6<br />
Privately rented 11.1<br />
Rented from a registered social landlord 2.19<br />
Rented from a local authority 29.2<br />
1991 Owner-occupied 66<br />
Privately rented 9.3<br />
Rented from a registered social landlord 3<br />
Rented from a local authority 21.1<br />
2001 Owner-occupied 69<br />
Privately rented 9.3<br />
Rented from a registered social landlord 6.4<br />
Rented from a local authority 14.4<br />
Dwell<strong>in</strong>gs by period <strong>of</strong> construction (1996 data) 1985 13.0<br />
Note: data on <strong>hous<strong>in</strong>g</strong> tenure for 1971, 1981 and 1991 refer to 1 April <strong>of</strong> the year <strong>in</strong> question; data for 2001 refer to 31 March.<br />
Table<br />
2.29.2<br />
Economic Trends <strong>in</strong> the United K<strong>in</strong>gdom,<br />
1991-2002<br />
Category<br />
Consumer Change<br />
Unemployment Employment price <strong>in</strong>dex <strong>in</strong> GDP<br />
rate <strong>of</strong> rate <strong>of</strong> (all items), at constant<br />
people aged people aged year-on-year (1995)<br />
Year 16 and over 16 and over change prices<br />
1991 8.4 58.5 7.5 Nav<br />
1992 9.8 57.0 4.2 Nav<br />
1993 10.5 56.2 2.5 Nav<br />
1994 9.8 56.5 2.0 4.4<br />
1995 8.8 57.0 2.6 2.8<br />
1996 8.3 57.4 2.5 2.7<br />
1997 7.2 58.2 1.8 3.3<br />
1998 6.2 58.5 1.6 3.1<br />
1999 6.1 59.0 1.3 2.8<br />
2000 5.6 59.5 0.8 3.8<br />
2001 4.9 59.7 1.2 2.1<br />
2002 5.2 59.7 1.3 1.6<br />
sharply while the proportion rented from a Registered<br />
Social Landlord has grown.<br />
This table also reveals that the age <strong>of</strong> the UK <strong>hous<strong>in</strong>g</strong><br />
stock is comparatively high <strong>in</strong> European terms. Only<br />
13% <strong>of</strong> the national <strong>hous<strong>in</strong>g</strong> stock was constructed<br />
between 1985 and 1996.<br />
unemployment rate <strong>in</strong> the United K<strong>in</strong>gdom has<br />
fallen steadily. In 1991, 8.4% <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>dividuals aged<br />
16 years and over were unemployed but by 2002<br />
this had fallen to 5.2%. In addition, <strong>in</strong>flation as<br />
measured by the consumer price <strong>in</strong>dex had also<br />
fallen. In 1991 consumer prices grew by 7.5% on<br />
the previous year, but by 2002 this rate <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>crease<br />
had fallen to just 1.3%.<br />
2.29.4 Demography<br />
In 2001 the population <strong>of</strong> the United K<strong>in</strong>gdom<br />
stood at 59,862,800 persons. TABLE 2.29.3 reveals<br />
that the population has <strong>in</strong>creased by 6.1% s<strong>in</strong>ce<br />
1980 when the number <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>habitants totalled<br />
56,330,000 persons. Dur<strong>in</strong>g the same period the<br />
number <strong>of</strong> households <strong>in</strong> England, Scotland and<br />
Wales <strong>in</strong>creased by 22.7% – from 19,900,000 <strong>in</strong><br />
1990 to 24,121,000 <strong>in</strong> 2000. As well as population<br />
growth, this <strong>in</strong>crease <strong>in</strong> the number <strong>of</strong> households<br />
was driven by a reduction <strong>in</strong> the average household<br />
size which fell from 2.7 persons <strong>in</strong> 1980 to 2.4 <strong>in</strong><br />
2000.<br />
<strong>hous<strong>in</strong>g</strong> standards, the grants regime for private<br />
<strong>hous<strong>in</strong>g</strong> and the establishment <strong>of</strong> the Communities<br />
Scotland organisation which was mentioned above.<br />
Better Homes for People <strong>in</strong> Wales, published <strong>in</strong> 2001<br />
sets out the Welsh Assembly’s vision for the future <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>hous<strong>in</strong>g</strong> <strong>in</strong> this country together with an associated<br />
policy framework. The implementation <strong>of</strong> this strategy<br />
is guided by an action plan which was published <strong>in</strong><br />
2003.<br />
At the time <strong>of</strong> writ<strong>in</strong>g the Northern Ireland Assembly<br />
was suspended. However the Northern Ireland Affairs<br />
Committee <strong>of</strong> the United K<strong>in</strong>gdom parliament has<br />
recently established a sub-committee to enquire <strong>in</strong>to<br />
social <strong>hous<strong>in</strong>g</strong> provision <strong>in</strong> Northern Ireland.<br />
2.29.2 Stock<br />
In 2001 the total <strong>hous<strong>in</strong>g</strong> stock <strong>in</strong> the United K<strong>in</strong>gdom<br />
stood at 25,456,000 dwell<strong>in</strong>gs. The UK <strong>hous<strong>in</strong>g</strong> stock<br />
has expanded significantly <strong>in</strong> recent decades. In 1971<br />
the total number <strong>of</strong> dwell<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>in</strong> the country was<br />
19,468,000.<br />
TABLE 2.29.1 reveals that <strong>in</strong> 2001, 69% <strong>of</strong> dwell<strong>in</strong>gs<br />
were owner-occupied, 9.3% were rented from a private<br />
landlord and 20.8% <strong>of</strong> dwell<strong>in</strong>gs were social rented –<br />
14.4% from a local authority and 6.4% from a<br />
Registered Social Landlord. Like many other <strong>countries</strong><br />
exam<strong>in</strong>ed <strong>in</strong> this review, levels <strong>of</strong> home ownership <strong>in</strong><br />
the UK have expanded <strong>in</strong> recent decades – <strong>in</strong> 1971<br />
only 50% <strong>of</strong> dwell<strong>in</strong>gs were owner-occupied.<br />
Conversely, the size <strong>of</strong> the private rented and the social<br />
rented sectors has also contracted s<strong>in</strong>ce the early 1980s<br />
Data regard<strong>in</strong>g the standard <strong>of</strong> dwell<strong>in</strong>gs across the<br />
whole <strong>of</strong> the United K<strong>in</strong>gdom are not available.<br />
However, data for England <strong>in</strong>dicate that the<br />
standard <strong>of</strong> dwell<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>in</strong> this part <strong>of</strong> the UK<br />
compare well with the other <strong>countries</strong> exam<strong>in</strong>ed <strong>in</strong><br />
this review. In 2001, 81% <strong>of</strong> all dwell<strong>in</strong>gs <strong>in</strong><br />
England conta<strong>in</strong>ed 4 rooms or more, although this<br />
figure falls to 70% <strong>in</strong> the case <strong>of</strong> social rented<br />
dwell<strong>in</strong>gs. Also dur<strong>in</strong>g this year 99% <strong>of</strong> dwell<strong>in</strong>gs<br />
<strong>in</strong> England had all <strong>of</strong> the follow<strong>in</strong>g amenities: a<br />
kitchen s<strong>in</strong>k, a bath or shower, a wash-hand bas<strong>in</strong>,<br />
a hot and cold water supply and an <strong>in</strong>door<br />
lavatory.<br />
2.29.3 Economy<br />
TABLE 2.29.2 demonstrates that the rate <strong>of</strong> growth<br />
<strong>in</strong> GDP <strong>in</strong> the United K<strong>in</strong>gdom slowed slightly <strong>in</strong><br />
Table<br />
2.29.3<br />
Demographic Trends <strong>in</strong> the United K<strong>in</strong>gdom,<br />
1980-2000<br />
Population by year (No.) 1980 56,330,000<br />
1985 56,685,000<br />
1990 57,561,000<br />
1995 58,606,000<br />
2000 59,756,000<br />
Population by age (2000 data) (%)