The integration of retrofit practice within social housing

Efficiently and sustainably addressing the social and economic demands arising for the world’s ageing population is a major global challenge. An ageing population has significant implications for public policy such as housing, health and welfare, therefore requiring holistic integration across a range of service providers. Through the lens of institutional theory, this study seeks to explore the levels of integrated retrofit practice within social housing under a constructivist approach. Following a scoping study of 24 key stakeholder interviews across Scotland, this paper presents the second phase of research undertaken to evaluate collaboration and knowledge sharing within social housing retrofit practice for the improved wellbeing of an ageing population. Presented are the findings of a single case study of a social housing provider, through analysis of nine hierarchical stakeholder interviews determining the success and failures to create integrated retrofit practice. The hierarchical structures with silo-based application have created the belief that each sector are separate entities with separate agendas, however these are interlinking, with a much broader social and economic impact. Therefore, there is a need to break through these intrinsic neoliberal barriers created, with defined boundaries of policy and budgets, to create a collaborative approach to retrofit practice.