EMPOWERMENT THROUGH RESIDENCE

What does it mean to empower people through the housing in which they live, and how is this empowerment to be achieved? These are the questi ons which are examined in this paper Typologies of empowerment process es are devised in an attempt to make sense of the conceptual and empir ical variety involved. The distinction between 'top-down' and 'bottom- up' empowerment orientations is argued to be particularly important fo r understanding the content, pattern and general direction of empowerm ent processes. Empowerments through knowledge, statute, resources, agr eement and specific power transfer are then discussed in relation to s pecific housing contexts, in particular the context of social housing management. The utility of the typologies of empowerment processes is tested in application to specific tenant participation arrangements. I t is concluded that resident empowerment is worth pursuing not only fo r its own sake, but for the benefits which it can bring to a wider soc iety.