Hidden Toil Behind Shiny Fronts: experiences of living in a new housing area with little income

Published: 13 August 2025

OU Research Report published in July 2025 - To access the full report click HERE - Any questions about the research can be directed to Keetie Roelen via email - keetie.roelen@open.ac.uk 

• To avoid the city bursting at its seams and new housing areas trapping low-income residents in a life of precarity rather than move them out of it, the report calls on national government and local authorities to work with developers and other stakeholders to:

• Prioritise the establishment of vital services, including schools, health facilities and shops, to serve new and existing residents within reasonable distance;

• Ensure that public transport links are established as soon as new housing areas are being developed to offer affordable and viable ways of travelling around the city;

• Construct community buildings with ample capacity to meet communities’ needs, and ensure temporary facilities are provided until permanent facilities are available;

• Invest in community development to build an inclusive and thriving community;

• Hold housing associations to account for lack of responsiveness or inadequate response to faults or complaints;

• Meaningfully enable the participation of voluntary, community organisations and resident groups before and throughout the development of new housing areas to understand the needs of all residents, and especially those on lower incomes.