How can the benefits of housing regeneration programs be sustained?

Exit strategies have been found to be effective in sustaining the benefits of social housing estate regeneration programs. This research carried out a national audit of existing regeneration practices in combination with interviews and focus groups in five public housing estates. Of the five estates, only one had a formal exit strategy. Such strategies can assist an estate to become a community by involving local tenants, developing leadership capacity and establishing community run successor organisations. Although no single exit strategy can be applied universally since each should be responsive to local conditions, there are core elements that should be included. These are: a formal plan; involvement of residents and key stakeholders; conflict resolution procedures; a process for transfer of responsibility for ongoing projects or functions; development of leadership; and formal evaluation procedures.