Summary

• Faith-based organisations have figured prominently in the urban regeneration agendas of consecutive British governments. The city itself has deep symbolism in Christianity, and although church groups are best placed to engage with government with regeneration projects, minority religions are increasingly coming on board as well.

• Although deeply motivated by an ethic of service to fulfil social needs, faith groups in the UK also engage in political mobilisation, as evidenced by the example of Citizens UK that follows the community organising principles of the US activist, Saul Alinsky (see Alinsky, 1973). This alliance of religious and non-religious organisations seeks to challenge the structures of global capitalism and has successfully campaigned for initiatives such as a just living wage.

• Religion shapes housing needs and aspirations. Strict Muslims and Orthodox Jews are especially significant in this regard due to the various religious requirements they have.

• The UK is quite unique in that state funds have gone towards minority ethnic housing associations and more recently, faith-based housing associations that provide social housing to members of their own faiths. The impact of these housing associations is ambiguous – they do not foster social segregation, but neither do they differ significantly from secular organisations and debates abound regarding the extent to which the needs of religious communities may be met within mainstream social housing provision.

• A further key dimension of housing services relates to emergency relief services for homeless people, as epitomised by nightly soup runs, over 80 per cent of which are either run by religious organisations such as The Salvation Army or local churches. Despite hostility from government and other homeless agencies, soup runs continue to go strong and are a key arena for the development of ethical citizenship aimed at serving the needs of the homeless, with no religious strings attached.