Harris Beider - Professor in Community Cohesion

Harris Beider took up his post as Professor in Community Cohesion at iCoCo in January 2008 moving from the Centre for Urban and Regional Studies (CURS) at the University of Birmingham.   His main research interests include 'race', housing and community renewal.

Key publications include:

Beider, H (ed.) (forthcoming) special issue of Housing Studies on Rethinking Race and Residence;
Beider, H (ed.) (2007) Neighbourhood Renewal and Housing Markets: community engagement in the US and UK. Oxford, Blackwell Publishing
(and with Mullins, D.) (2004) Empowering communities, improving housing: involving black and minority ethnic communities. London, ODPM.

He has managed and undertaken research projects for CLG, Joseph Rowntree Foundation, the Housing Corporation, Housing Association Charitable Trust and many individual social landlords and government offices.  Harris has also been an independent management consultant since 2001 specialising in diversity, housing and organisational change.  He has been commissioned by national and regional organisations, housing associations and regeneration partnerships to provide advice and recommend solutions as well as senior management and boards.

Prior to working at CURS Harris was Executive Director of the Federation of Black Housing Organisations and Founding Director of People for Action. At the former, Harris was involved in helping to shape national policy on black and minority ethnic issues.  Harris has been an advisor to the Prime Minister's Social Exclusion Unit and Visiting International Scholar at Columbia University, New York City.

He has recently been appointed as a Neighbourhood Renewal Advisor to the Department of Local Government and Communities, to the Board of South Birmingham PCT and External Examiner at Sheffield Hallam University. Harris is a regular contributor to conferences that focus on 'race', housing and community.