‘The future’s changed’: local impacts of housing, environment and regeneration policy since 1997

The paper documents the local impacts of government efforts to improve housing standards and demand, enhance environmental quality and foster sustainable regeneration within low-income areas. Housing, the local environment and physical regeneration were core concerns for Labour as it entered office, and have remained high on the governments agenda throughout its two terms. Drawing on the experiences of 12 representative low-income areas in England and Wales, this paper examines how policies and initiatives implemented since 1997 have mpacted on low-income areas’ housing and physical environment