Calling all nimbys. It's time to change your mind about social housing.
New research suggests that social housing does not affect property prices on developments that "successfully integrate" the two types of tenure.
As long as the design and quality of the properties are high, "pepper-potting" - where social and private homes are located next to each other - will not lower prices, and can actually increase social cohesion, the research, carried out by the NHBC Foundation in collaboration with the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), found.
The report urges house builders and social landlords to consider developing a wider range of house types and sizes to "stabilise neighbourhoods".
"This would encourage residents to move from private rented to purchase or for those in apartments to move into family housing," the researchers said.
However, the report said more work needs to be done to establish the best way to manage mixed-tenure developments. Over-popular areas can become gentrified and drive out those on low incomes, while high levels of privately-rented properties can "damage community cohesion" because of the high turnover of residents and lack of accountability "from absentee landlords," it warned.