Housing Policy Development Research Articles

A Historical Approach to The Development of Housing Policies in Türkiye

The concept of urbanization is a process that causes physical, economic and socio-cultural change and transformation of cities. The changes experienced during the urbanization process bring with them many different problems. The most important of these problems is the housing problem, which focuses on sheltering. Within the scope of this study, the housing problem in Türkiye has been examined covering the period from the declaration of the Republic to the present day. A periodization study was carried out due to the different developments that occurred in the process. The housing problem was addressed by examining different housing policies in four periods. In this context, population sizes and changes in society in each period are presented. Many different production methods such as individual production, state-assisted production, build-and-sell, cooperatives have been periodically brought up for discussion. In addition, throughout the process, the laws and regulations regarding housing were examined in detail. With the transition to the planned period, the statements regarding housing in the development plans prepared were deemed important, and detailed analyzes were made on this subject. The literature research conducted within the scope of the study allowed the housing problem to be examined from many different aspects. By examining issues such as changing laws and regulations, economic conjuncture, and differentiation of social structure in the process, the fundamental causes of the housing problem have been opened for discussion. It is anticipated that this study can be a reference source for housing researchers in Türkiye.

Основные проблемы реализации государственной жилищной политики (на примере Республики Саха (Якутия))

The relevance of the study is due to the search for models of effective interaction between the central and regional authorities on the implementation of state housing policy. The object of the study is the state housing policy, the subject of the study is the main trends in the implementation and development of state housing policy in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). The main goal of the work is to reveal the content and problems of state housing policy implementation in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). Research objectives are as follows: to study the phenomenon of state housing policy in the Russian Federation, its goals, objectives and basic principles of implementation; to consider the issue of state regulation of housing policy; to analyze the state of housing policy in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) and trends in its implementation. The methodological basis of the study is based on analytical, comparative, statistical and systemic methods of scientific knowledge, which allow structuring and analyzing the implementation of key areas of state housing policy at the federal and regional levels. The use of these methods contributed to the formation of an objective picture of the state of regional housing policy in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) and identified the main trends recorded in the results of the study. The author defines the principles and foundations of the theoretical and methodological part of the housing policy implementation and development in the region; identifies further priority areas for the regional state housing policy development, taking into account the content of the regulatory framework, features and specifics of implementation and improvement programs. The Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) has its own features in the housing policy development, such as independent regulation of conflict situations, additional subsidy and benefit programs for special categories of the population, organizing the solution of the emergency fund issue by coordinating the activities of regional and federal developers. However, the main problems due to which solutions to issues in the field of regional state housing policy implementation are not revealed have become the limited amount of finance and the natural conditions of our region.

Inclusionary housing policy and practice in South African cities: planning as a spatial transformation tool

AbstractGlobally, housing forms an integral part of accessing the wide range opportunities that cities offer, however, inequality can be exacerbated when significant segments of the inhabitants are excluded from the real estate market or through inaction by the state. The need for affordable housing in cities with hyper-property markets is of global concern for public sector authorities that are pursuing goals of socially just and economically inclusive cities. In the global south, inclusionary housing policies and associated practices have emerged as important tools to increase access for those excluded from the opportunities available in towns and cities. In South Africa, the post-1994 democratic state has continued with the apartheid era practice of providing subsidised housing for the majority urban residents on the outskirts of towns and cities, thereby further entrenching poverty traps and racially based separate developments. Contrary to practice, the state’s well-documented policy position is to reverse the legacy of apartheid through spatial transformation so that cities and towns become economically more inclusive and socially just. It is argued that this requires prioritising the provision of affordable housing in urban centres of towns and cities that offer meaningful working, residing, shopping, recreational and other social opportunities. Although inclusionary housing policy has emerged internationally as an important mechanism to spatially transform urban areas, this forms only one component of a wider range of other possible public interventions. These framework mechanisms could include broader housing development policies, legislation and programmes as well as the urban development policies, spatial planning and land use management practices and incentives. Other incentives that can be used as leverage include the use of publicly owned property (land and buildings), capital infrastructure and development incentives. The public sector can offer both direct and indirect financial assistance and tax incentives to support an inclusionary housing policy. Critically, this should be contingent on the public sector understanding the feasibility, risk and benefits associated with housing projects pursued by private sector real estate developers.

New urban agenda: sustainable development goals, urban mobility and healthy cities

The trends of modern urban planning are studied, namely two of its urban planning concepts - “Plan for Sustainable Urban Mobility” and “Healthy City”, their theoretical development within the framework of adopted documents, agendas and programs for sustainable development. The goals of sustainable development are studied, the achievement of which is devoted to the documents “New Urban Development Program” and the declaration “Agenda for Sustainable Development for the period up to 2030”. It is concluded that sustainable development considers the integration of goals in territorial planning, environmental protection and public health, achieving social and gender equality, housing policy, and transport development as the basis for unified urban planning.

History of housing policy’s formation and development in Ukraine

The purpose of this article is to reveal specific features of the history of the formation and development of housing policy in Ukraine from the ХІХ century to the present time has been researched. Obtaining research results became possible due to the application of general philosophical and special methods of scientific cognition. The factors that influenced the development of housing policy have been established. It has been clarified that the problem of providing housing historically was initially considered as the problem of an individual person, and only later – one of the issues of the state policy. Such key stages of the development of housing policy as the initiation of housing policy in the ХІХ century, the development of housing policy after the First and Second World Wars, modern challenges of housing policy have been analyzed. It has been emphasized that international standards and recommendations for the formation of housing policy were formed at the beginning of the ХХ century. It has been established that there was a large-scale reconstruction of the housing stock and the construction of typical multi-apartment buildings after the end of the Second World War. It has been emphasized that Ukraine's housing policy after obtaining independence in 1991 had undergone significant changes. It was confirmed by the massive privatization of housing by Ukrainian citizens and the growth of the share of the private housing stock. The authors have offered own periodization of the stages for the formation and development of housing policy in Ukraine, starting from the ХІХ century and up to nowadays. The importance of the historical approach for further development of housing policy, taking into account economic, social and political aspects, has been emphasized.

A systematic review on the role of nature-based solutions (NbS) in housing delivery in Africa

Purpose The study aims to examine the potential benefits of integrating nature-based solutions (NbS) in the housing sector. Design/methodology/approach The approach adopted was a systematic literature review aided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews criteria and the VOSviewer software. Abductive reasoning was used to analyze the collected data, which was then subjected to content analysis through an iterative read-and-review procedure. Findings The study identified green walls, indoor greenery, porous pavement and landscaping, rainwater harvesting and water purification and green roofs as elements of buildings where NbS should be incorporated. Although nature-based research on integrated greenery facades and roof applications was noted, rainwater harvesting and water purification-oriented research remained dominant. These findings demonstrate the advantages of implementing NbS in the housing sector, including energy efficiency, environmental development, flood prevention and sustainable water management. Integrating NbS into housing designs can considerably contribute to the creation of more resilient, eco-friendly and comfortable living environments. However, the adoption of NbS faces hurdles, including a lack of awareness, limited policy support and economic constraints. Practical implications This study recommends that NbS be mainstreamed into housing development and knowledge exchange opportunities between sub-Saharan Africa and Europe, as well as other regions, to promote the adoption of NbS through research and collaborations. Also, it contributes to the discourse of sustainable affordable housing in the Global South while addressing United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 11, 12, 13 and 15. This study offers valuable guidance to stakeholders, thereby fostering the development of more sustainable and resilient housing practices and policies. Originality/value The study used VOSviewer software visualization to identify structural patterns and track prominent research frontiers, allowing for a more thorough yet concise mapping and capture of a scientific knowledge domain.

Getting to effective housing policy for health: a thematic synthesis of policy development and implementation

ABSTRACT Impacts of housing on health are well-recognised. Despite this, housing standards have been neglected and there are gaps in healthy housing policies, particularly in low and middle-income countries. Given the recent publication of the WHO Housing and health guidelines, and the need to implement these into policy at all scales, we carried out a focused search and thematic synthesis of available literature on the barriers and enablers to recent housing and health policy. We aimed to generate lessons of what works to support healthy housing policy development and implementation elsewhere. Twenty-three studies representing four countries were eligible for inclusion and covered housing-related risks of air quality, lead, accessible design, and housing conditions. Findings demonstrated that policy development and implementation were facilitated through awareness of housing and health, evidence of existing housing conditions and health impacts, collaborations across sectors and between residents and decision-makers and effective enforcement systems that employed incentives, tools such as certificates for compliance, and housing inspections. Concerns about economic viability and tensions between housing rights and responsibilities limited healthy housing policy for the ‘common good’. Despite limitations in the diversity of available evidence, this thematic synthesis provides a starting point for healthy and equitable housing for all.

Beyond entrepreneurialism: revealing multiple logics of suburban housing development politics in the global city

ABSTRACT There is a burgeoning literature in urban studies on the role of suburbs in the development of global cities. For too long, it is argued, suburbs have been marginalised within urban theory and research. At the same time, planning systems are increasingly driven by growth-centred arrangements that seek to boost private investment and convert complex places into development spaces. Such approaches are built on the experiences of urban centres and the market conditions found within them. Drawing on the London example, the paper develops existing work on global suburbanisms to identify the multiple logics and variable practices of housing policy and delivery that exist within global cities. It makes three contributions. First, it highlights the continuing significance of place-based representative local government in shaping suburban variability. Second, it develops a typology of political clusters to demonstrate the variables that shape the diversity of approaches to housing development policy and delivery that exist. And third, it analyses the interactions between physical landscapes and the rolling-out of market-led models and planning systems. Collectively, the paper points to a methodology for the analysis of suburban environments in cities beyond London, especially those in which political boundaries and physical environments act as a constraint on spatial expansion.

Sustaining a resilient housing system in southeast Queensland

ABSTRACT The Covid-19 pandemic added an additional layer of pressure onto an already stressed housing system in Southeast Queensland (SEQ). Housing is a complex system and we argue that thinking about the separate components of housing in isolation, we are unable to consider the resiliency of housing as a whole system. The purpose of this paper is to inform and help structure resilient housing policy and strategy development in SEQ. Using qualitative methodologies, data were collected by conducting semi-structured interviews with 18 participants associated with the housing sector in SEQ, during the pandemic period. Participants were invited from five groups: community, government, consultants, developers and peak housing bodies. We found that rather than relying on reactive mechanisms, there needs to be a commitment from governments to work with other sectors to strategically plan for proactive and resilient-led approaches and policies to prepare for shocks. There is an opportunity at local, state and federal level governments to learn from this study to better understand what makes a housing system more resilient.

Paradise lost? Rental housing insecurity and the lived experiences of amenity migrants in Cairns, Australia

ABSTRACT This paper explores the housing experiences of amenity migrants, focusing on the challenges of rental housing insecurity in Cairns, Australia. Through episodic narrative interviews with a purposive sample of 27 amenity migrants who moved to Cairns between 2016 and 2021, we explore how housing insecurity affects their life satisfaction and consider the implications for urban planning and policy. Our findings reveal that many amenity migrants in Cairns face significant challenges in navigating the rental housing market, which negatively impacts their sense of belonging and overall life satisfaction. Participants reported struggles with rental housing affordability, suitability, and availability, which often led to compromises in their living conditions and a sense of frustration and uncertainty. These challenges were found to have significant impacts on their mental well-being, social integration, and overall quality of life. Importantly, the study reveals that housing insecurity can prompt amenity migrants to consider re-migration as a coping strategy, as they seek more stable and affordable housing options elsewhere. We argue that planners must take a proactive role in addressing housing challenges in regional cities like Cairns, through the development of inclusive and responsive housing policies that cater to the diverse needs of amenity migrants. Practitioner Points Rental housing security is a key factor in amenity migrants’ satisfaction and integration into new communities. Without affordable, adequate, and appropriate rental housing, amenity migrants choose to ‘re-migrate’ to new destinations, seeking better prospects. Responsive urban planning that addresses the diversity and affordability of rental housing helps meet the needs of amenity migrants.

Regulatory and Policy Framework for Social Housing in Latvia: Current State and Future Directions

Abstract This study examines the regulatory and policy framework for social housing in Latvia, focusing on its current state and future directions. Through comprehensive policy analysis and document review, the research traces the historical development of social housing policies, evaluates the existing regulatory landscape, and compares Latvian approaches with EU best practices. The study reveals significant challenges in Latvia’s social housing sector, including limited stock, inadequate funding mechanisms, and policy gaps in addressing the needs of vulnerable populations, particularly the elderly. Despite these challenges, recent initiatives and proposed reforms indicate a growing recognition of the importance of social housing in addressing demographic shifts and economic disparities. The findings highlight the need for a more robust and adaptive policy framework that aligns with EU standards while addressing Latvia’s unique socio-economic context. The study proposes policy recommendations aimed at enhancing the accessibility, affordability, and quality of social housing, with a particular emphasis on age-friendly housing solutions. By identifying key areas for improvement and potential innovative approaches, this research contributes to the ongoing discourse on social housing policy in Latvia and offers insights for policymakers, urban planners, and housing stakeholders.

Organizational and legal regulation and features of the development of housing legal relations of the Republic of Kazakhstan

This article is devoted to the problems in the sphere of providing citizens of the Republic of Kazakhstan with housing and the development of mechanisms for the reproduction of housing stock. According to the implementation of the housing policy development strategy, it is impossible without an appropriate legal framework and the implementation of existing and promising housing programs aimed at regulating the sphere of housing legal relations.

정비사업에 의한 주택공급이 인근 아파트 가격에 미치는 영향

Seoul City continues to promote urban development projects to respond to the increasing housing demand due to continued population growth and urbanization. Furthermore, it is establishing related support policies. This study analyzes the impact of housing supply through redevelopment projects, especially on apartment resale prices in the vicinity and provides insights for relevant policy development. Accordingly, the Heukseok 3 redevelopment area was selected as the target site, and apartment complexes within 500 m, 1 km, and 1.5 km of the target site were established as the treatment group, control group 1, and control group 2, respectively, with a total of 10,300 cases in 14 apartment complexes. The analysis used the difference-in-differences method and multilevel modeling. The results obtained at various stages of the project implementation indicated that the prices of the surrounding apartments decreased during the association establishment and completion approval stages, whereas price increases were observed during the project design and property management and disposal planning phases. Moreover, the extent of price increases and decreases varied with distance from the Heukseok 3 zone oriented to the policy. Through this study, we confirmed the impact of housing supply through redevelopment projects in neighboring areas. These findings can serve as valuable evidence for future housing policy development.

Relations between individual residence trajectory and macro social transformation: Passive relocation migrants in shanty town in Shanghai, China

In the context of socio-economic transformations, Chinese cities have entered the era of inventory land renewal, large-scale urban renewal, and old city renovation, which have triggered a large number of passive relocation behaviors, which led to intra-urban movements and migration. It is essential to understand what the Chinese family is undergoing before and after the relocation and how the macro social power impacts the trajectory of residence and living patterns of individual families step by step. Based on the oral history of Hongzhen Old Street informal settlement in Shanghai, using a qualitative research method, this article takes the life course of passive relocation migrants as a starting point, and summarizes a migrant residence transformation pedigree and survival mechanism from the gradual and struggling spatial practice before relocation, the decision-making and negotiation process, to the life after relocation with difficulty in taking root and community re-connection. This study reveals that in the long process of top-down land expropriation, residents have always been in an unsettled and temporary state, with their dynamic residential needs ignored, accelerating the decay and disorder of their neighborhood. In addition, although they have improved their spatial living conditions after the relocation, they still face the marginalization and deprivation of social resources. These problems reflect land economy, social capital, housing policy, and urban development mode.

Housing Experimentation and Design Guides: Affordable Housing in Guangzhou since 2006

This paper examines the recent growth of government-led affordable housing in Guangzhou, addressing a paucity of global housing studies that explore experimental and contextual policy approaches in China. It also addresses the lack of Chinese housing studies recognizing the impact of housing design governance, including regulatory controls and design standards, on housing preferences, supply and lifestyles. Since 1995, the supply of affordable housing has surged, now surpassing that of market housing for the first time. This response to failures in the private housing market and a lack of equitable access to housing signifies a significant shift, acknowledging the need to re-establish a state-led and long-term public housing supply after decades of housing marketization. Employing an architectural design research perspective, this paper investigates the interplay between affordable housing supply and the emergence of housing standards, examining resulting housing design outcomes. It poses the question: What changes in housing policy and interventions in housing markets are necessary to increase public rental housing supply, and how do these changes affect housing outcomes? The paper explores these questions through a discussion of the key moments in affordable housing policy and housing estate development in Guangzhou that facilitated the creation of widely accessible public housing and long-term housing assets. This provides new insights into China’s unique approach to translating central government social welfare and housing policy through contextual design experimentation and pilot housing projects, departing from the conventional top-down policy implementation found in most other countries.

Filling in the gaps: examining the prevalence of Black homelessness in Canada

PurposeDue to ongoing inequities in the social determinants of health and systemic barriers, homelessness continues to be a significant concern that disproportionately impacts racialized communities. Despite constituting a small proportion of the population, Black individuals are over-represented among people experiencing homelessness in many Canadian cities. However, although Black homelessness in Canada is a pressing issue, it has received limited attention in the academic literature. The purpose of this paper is to examine the reported prevalence of Black homelessness across Canada.Design/methodology/approachBy consulting enumerations from 61 designated communities that participated in the 2018 Nationally Coordinated Point-in-Time Count and two regional repositories – one for homeless counts supported by the government of British Columbia and another from the Rural Development Network – this paper reports on the scale and scope of Black homelessness across Canada.FindingsSignificantly, these reports demonstrate that Black people are over-represented among those experiencing homelessness compared to local and national populations. These enumerations also demonstrate significant gaps in the reporting of Black homelessness and inadequate nuance in data collection methods, which limit the ability of respondents to describe their identity beyond “Black.”Originality/valueThis research provides an unprecedented examination of Black homelessness across Canada and concludes with recommendations to expand knowledge on this important and under-researched issue, provide suggestions for future iterations of homeless enumerations and facilitate the development of inclusive housing policy.

Embodied life cycle impacts of lightweight building methods for affordable houses in the USA: Comparison of conventional, circular, and regenerative strategies

The transition to more circular practices in the construction sector offers an alternative to linear processes that are highly polluting and wasteful. Recent life cycle assessment (LCA) studies emphasize the relevance of the end-of-life scenario, highlighting its potential for impact reduction through circular strategies. There is an urgent need to fill the knowledge gap in the LCA literature on reducing the environmental impacts of affordable housing. Whole-building LCAs of three affordable homes built using a variety of lightweight construction methods in the southern United States were conducted to examine the environmental impacts of commonly used construction solutions for single-family affordable housing in the southern US and assess the extent to potential environmental impact mitigation through the introduction of additional circular strategies or the use of regenerative materials. In addition to the conventional as-built scenario, five hypothetical scenarios were considered in this study to evaluate the influence of different end-of-life options, namely, reduced recycling rates, increased recycling or reuse rates, and substitution of conventional insulation or finish materials with equivalent options from regenerative sources. The study aims to identify further opportunities for and limits to impact mitigation. The results show that the design and construction priorities should be (1) promoting proper end-of-life strategies for metals and wood-based materials, (2) replacing non-renewable materials with renewable wood or earth materials, and (3) increasing the reuse rate of materials and diverting construction waste. The study findings will support decision-making processes concerning the design and construction of low-impact affordable single-family homes and the development and implementation of affordable housing policies and regulations, resulting in greater environmental justice and a more equitable and sustainable built environment.

Rethinking developmental state intervention in the housing supply of a transitional economy: Evidence from Hanoi, Vietnam

The Vietnamese government has consistently played the role of policy initiator to achieve mass affordable housing provision through mobilising resources from the private sector since the Doi Moi policy was proclaimed. Consequently, high-rise apartments have gradually changed Hanoi's cityscape, while self-built row-houses still dominate the housing market. This study explores the evolution in housing types from the perspective of policy deviation. It aims to examine Hanoi's housing development using the developmental state model's theoretical framework to verify the impact of government intervention. The research methods involved collecting official statistics and survey data on apartment plans; an in-depth literature review on the local laws and regulations; and focus group interviews with government officials, professors, and construction industry businesspeople. This study shows that crude regulations and mismatches in actual housing demand led to malfunctions in ambitious housing supply plans during policy implementation. It also identifies that public land ownership and centralised planning authority are critical elements of the state's incentive-control scheme for housing provision. The public entities' market independence, ensuring the private sector's profitability, and financial instruments that promote housing affordability are essential for the state-led housing development policy's success.

Housing Affordability Issues in Ukraine

The article is dedicated to the analysis of population’s housing provision in Ukraine and its certain regions considering the methodological features of assessing housing affordability indicators, as well as the losses in the housing stock as a result of military invasion. The purpose of the paper is the methodological determination of housing affordability indicator, assessment of its pre-war trend in Ukraine; and determination of an acceptable for modern conditions institutional mechanism for improving housing affordability based on the principle of rent. The novelty of the research is the substantiation of use of permanent housing lease mechanism. These schemes can be implemented at the state and regional levels with the direct participation of investors and local self-government bodies within the framework of public-private partnerships. In the paper the pros and cons of the current mechanisms of housing construction and obtaining are identified; prospective directions and possible financial mechanisms for state housing policy implementation in the current condition of construction industry and population welfare are shown. Research methods are the following: correlational, analog, time series for the analysis of regional differentiation of housing affordability in Ukraine. Housing affordability has become much more complicated due to the need to restore damaged and destroyed dwellings. In view of current situation, prospective dynamics of living area commissioning indicator aimed at bringing the level of housing provision of Ukrainian citizens closer to the indicators of European countries was determined. In the absence of official housing purchase estimates at the national level, the ratio of median cost per square meter of living area to the median wage was used as the housing affordability ratio. The housing affordability ratio for the regions of Ukraine was calculated. According to the generally accepted classification of housing markets by affordability criterion, the purchase of housing in the country is significantly complicated. The correlation between the housing affordability indicator and the living area commissioning indicator was calculated, which was negative and indicated that the regional programs for providing the population with housing are critically unsatisfactory. The positive and negative features of the financial instruments for ensuring the housing affordability for the population and their compliance with the strategic goals of the housing policy development were determined. The financial and organizational mechanism of lease as a target vector for providing the population with housing was proposed.

The role of municipalities in promoting housing affordability: an analysis of three Finnish cities

ABSTRACT Land use and housing development policies are crucial for promoting housing affordability. As municipalities have considerable power over these policies, local variations in affordability measures occur. Focusing on three Finnish municipalities (Helsinki, Tampere, and Turku), this study analysed differences in promoting affordability. A content analysis based on expert interviews (N = 22) and policy documents showed how one of the municipalities (Turku) differed from the other two. Turku had less administrative capacity for policy implementation and more volatility in social rental housing targets, which indicates a less active role in steering the housing market compared to Helsinki and Tampere.