Perspectives on social enterprise and hybridity in housing organisations [VO] / D. Mullins

Perspectives on social enterprise and hybridity in housing organisations: présentation de la plénière [version anglaise] / David Mullins. In "Mixité : an urban and housing issue? Mixing people, housing and activities as urban challenge of the future", 23ème colloque international de l'European Network for Housing Research (ENHR), organisé par le Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire Solidarités, Sociétés, Territoires (LISST) à l'Université Toulouse II-Le Mirail, 5-8 juillet 2011.

This session draws on work for a Special Issue of Housing Studies to stimulate debate on the implications (theoretical and practical) of the growth of social enterprise and hybrid models of housing provision. Three of the authors of papers produced for the special issue (abstracts for which are included in this brochure) will review the increasing emphasis on social enterprise and hybrid models in housing organisations and the delivery of social and affordable housing in Europe, the United States and Australia. Social enterprise models have been widely promoted in recent years by both state policies and civil society interests in many countries. Social enterprises are often characterised by hybrid formal institutional characteristics, motivations and activities since they intertwine state, market and society influences within single organisations. Understanding current trends in the adoption of social enterprise and hybrid concepts and approaches by (social) housing organisations, the reasons for these trends and their implications for organisations which frequently ‘face several ways’ (to state, market and society) are important tasks for researchers in housing studies. Such work is necessary both to improve our theoretical understanding of these trends and their meaning and also enable us to engage with contemporary policy and practice. Yet to date there has been very little systematic analysis within this field.

Following an introduction by the Chair, each speaker will draw on their research on social housing organisations in parts of Europe, the United States and Australia to illuminate the following plenary panel questions:- How and to what extent do housing organisations engage with debates about social enterprise and hybridity?- How do they position themselves vis-à-vis the state, the market and society?- How do they reconcile conflicting logics of ‘common good’, financial return and government policy?- How do these conflicting logics play out in housing policy and implementation in different national and local contexts?The plenary will conclude with a panel discussion of similarities and differences in conceputalisation and practice of social enterprise and hybridity in Europe, North America and Australia. This will help us to address the final questions:- How useful are models of social enterprise and hybridity in analysis of organisational behaviour in the housing sector in these different contexts?- What are the policy implications of the growth in social enterprise and hybridity?