Divided city? The value of mixed communities in expensive neighbourhoods

The London School of Economics and Octavia launched Divided City, a new report looking into the value of mixed communities in expensive neighbourhoods in inner London. LSE Housing and Communities researchers spoke to 50 Octavia tenants in Westminster and Kensington and Chelsea from July 2011 to January 2013 asking them about their experiences of their homes and neighbourhoods as well as the impact of welfare reform and concerns for the future. The LSE report highlights the benefits of strong public services and the value of a secure home and tenancy in a period of wider insecurity and change with residents voicing concerns about welfare reform, public cutbacks, gentrification and rising living costs. The report concludes that low income tenants are not the only residents who benefit from mixed communities.