How to abolish public housing: implications and lessons from public management reform

Examines how public or municpal housing in England and Wales is being abolished and transferred into the housing association (HA) sector. A new public management (NPM) analytical framework is adopted which provides seven dimensions, disaggregation, competition, private sector management, economy, hands-on top management, standards of performance and measurement of outputs. Overlying these dimensions it is argued that there are two NPM meta-themes; externalisation and managerialisation. Hypotheses are developed to explain the differential impact of NPM reforms on the municipal housing and HA sectors. These suggest that HAs are externalised and highly managerialised organisations whereas local authorities display lower levels of externalisation and limited managerialisation. In conclusion, the NPM framework is demonstrated to need further development whilst systematic research is required on management reform in social housing provision. PARTLY TAKEN FROM JOURNAL HEADNOTE.