Citizenship in the new welfare market: The purposes of housing advice services

In current debates about citizenship, three approaches to social rights can be detected, Three models of access to social rights mirror these accounts . The institutionalised rights model, based on the post-war welfare state, stresses education and information, The market efficiency model, stressing the need for consumer information, stems from contemporary neo-liberal, con sumerist approaches to welfare provision. The radical model challenges the assumption of a level playing field for all citizens. As the state's role i n housing has been transformed and governments have stressed the market eff iciency model, housing advice services have expanded in both state and volu ntary sectors, The objectives and work: of these services is examined and s hown as providing a close fit with the institutionalised rights model in th e local authority sector, while in the voluntary sector the radical rights model dominates, In addition, the campaigning work; of voluntary organisati ons is shown to promote a radical view of citizenship rights.