Gate-keeping and the impact of administrative processes in shaping access to housing assistance

Abstract

Housing assistance remains one of the fundamental pillars of social security policy in most developed economies, even though the nature and form of that support has been transformed in many nations. Countries such as the USA, Australia, Germany, Switzerland and New Zealand maintain taxation and other policies that provide wide-ranging support for home ownership and/or social housing. In virtually all jurisdictions there are additional policies targeted at helping those with the greatest housing needs. This paper considers policies and programs directed at those with the most acute needs and examines how, in a government environment marked by a limited number of alternative policy instruments, administrative processes determine which population groups are able to gain access to each form of assistance. The paper draws upon both the housing careers/housing pathways literature and the earlier body of work focussed on urban gatekeepers. The paper shows that within population of low income households eligible for targeted housing assistance in South Australia, access to particular forms of assistance is highly differentiated, with some groups over-represented and others virtually excluded. This differentiation reflects both the characteristics of each group and the application of administrative criteria that act to exclude some groups, while assisting others. It is argued that this outcome has negative implications for equity and efficiency in society, as it can serve to reinforce discrimination and prejudice against some tenures, while limiting the capacity of others to improve their quality of life.