Social differentiation in public rental housing: A case study of Swedish metropolitan areas

Abstract

It is well known that many large public housing estates built as part of the Swedish Million Programme during the 1960s and 1970s contain a disproportionate number of low income families, immigrants and persons with social problems. Less is known about social differences between public housing from the Million Programme and (a) other housing built during the same period, and (b) public housing built before and after the Million Programme. Using Swedish census data for 1980 and 1985 and analysis of variance this study evaluated social differentiation by tenure within the Million Programme and by age within the public rental stock for a sample of statistical regions in Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmo. The results confirmed that there is a high level of social differentiation between tenures in the Million Programme, particularly for variables measuring economic status, impoverishment and crowding. This is the opposite of Swedish policies that encourage tenure neutrality and minimal residential segregation. In contrast, social differentiation by age of stock within public sector housing regions was less evident although older public housing was occupied by proportionately fewer children and foreign citizens and more elderly.