The housing problems of employees: Housing markets, policy issues and responses in England

The paper presents empirical evidence from an exploratory survey of employees in one case study company. It illustrates how the deregulation of the housing and labour markets in England has impacted on the company employees to produce a range of welfare housing problems. These welfare housing problems were experienced by relatively affluent home-owning employees, though were concentrated amongst lower-income households, those spending a larger proportion of their income on housing costs and renters. These problems disrupted employees’ home life and work in diverse ways with knock-on effects into their company and the economy. Other companies surveyed in the research offered employees advice, where they had the capacity. However, there was a reluctance amongst employees to report problems because of growing perceptions of insecurity in employment. The paper concludes by highlighting the need for additional state intervention in housing policy. This need goes beyond that recently announced by the Labour government which focuses upon the regeneration of council housing. New policies are needed to regulate the housing market and to provide information to government and its agencies to develop a greater understanding of local housing markets.