Housing Question Research Articles

Social Housing and Right to the City: Experiences of Inhabitants and Social Workers in Mumbai and Geneva

The question of housing in various economies and contexts reveals itself through complex policies and practices. The inability to access dignified housing means compromising the ‘right to the city’. The article explores the complex urban challenges of housing and social inclusion in Mumbai and Geneva. It examines how urbanization, driven by neoliberal policies, often exacerbates socio-economic inequalities, depriving marginalized communities’ right to the city. The article highlights social housing as a critical element for inclusive urban spaces, where access to adequate housing represents participation in public life. In Mumbai, resettlement colonies reveal how the urban poor face displacement and disrupted social networks due to resettlement to a peripheral place. In contrast, despite being well-intentioned, Geneva’s social housing policies struggle to meet demand, with rising exclusions due to aporophobia and housing shortages. However, social workers and NGOs are pivotal in advocating for inhabitants’ rights and facilitating community cohesion in both cities. To understand the current urban development issues, the article focuses on the points of view and practices of social workers, inhabitants, and communities in the construction of ‘living together’ within the new neighbourhoods. The analysis underscores that the vision of an inclusive, just city remains elusive without equitable housing policies.

Social Reproduction and the Housing Question

AbstractThere is broad recognition today that there is a link between the crisis of social reproduction and the housing problem. But their precise relationship is not always clear. This paper is an attempt to clarify their connection. Housing, this paper argues, is not merely the location or container of the crisis of social reproduction. Rather, there are elements of the contemporary housing system which intensify and shape the crisis of social reproduction. Drawing on feminist political economy and critical housing research, this paper identifies four major pathways by which the housing system exacerbates the crisis of social reproduction: depletion, disruption, redomestication, and recommodification. It also considers housing as a site for repoliticising social reproduction. Ultimately, the paper argues that a complete account of the housing question cannot ignore social reproduction as a political‐economic process.

Urban land ownership and the housing question in Germany: Insights from Catholic social ethics

As one measure to combat the housing affordability crisis, land policy is once again receiving more attention. However, it is little known that Catholic social ethicists in Germany were also heavily involved in urban land policy debates between 1950 and 1980. Along the lines of Catholic property ethics, they criticised that land law at the time was too strongly geared towards the interests of private owners and too little towards the common good. They considered this to be particularly problematic as they ascribed a strong social character to land ownership, which was hardly taken into account by land law and therefore led to unjustified privileges for landowners. In order to create a balance between the individual character and the social character of land ownership, they suggested, among other things, to tax land more heavily, to strengthen the public sector as a property owner and to improve spatial planning measures. The renaissance of land policy and the example of the city of Ulm, which successfully pursues an active land policy, testify to the topicality of the Catholic social ethicists’ position on urban land policy. However, a crucial deficit of this position is that it does not take into account ecological requirements of land use.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: This article combines insights from economics and Catholic social ethics. It is aimed at academics from economics, theology or housing studies as well as anyone from politics and civil society who is concerned with the ‘housing question’.

The garden city as a commons: Social-ethical perspectives on the new housing question

Europe faces a severe shortage in affordable housing. Even though the situation is less dire than in many cities of the Global South, rising rents and real estate prices affect the poorest hardest. Faith-based organisations, especially Christian churches, have monitored and tackled this problem for more than six decades.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: The paper discusses this issue from a social-ethical perspective featuring the example of Germany. It depicts the role of the churches, scrutinises the causes of the shortage, explains the situation as a problem of justice and presents an urban vision inspired by Christian tradition, namely the garden city as a commons. In a mixed motives approach, it presents concrete policy suggestions to improve the situation.

Immigrant Work and the Production of Italian Agrifood: The Variants of Subordinate Integration

The agri-food industry in Southern Europe and elsewhere is typically seen as a place of harsh exploitation of immigrant workers. This article aims to give a more comprehensive picture of immigrant work in the Italian agrifood system. Based on nine case studies of local production systems, it elaborates on the concept of “subordinate integration,” showing its different variants. In addition, it discusses the relationship between subordinate integration at work and different forms of social insertion on the territory, mainly focusing on the housing question. In conclusion, the social regulation of work in agriculture and the role of trade unions is highlighted.

Immigrant labour, rural economies, and the question of housing

AbstractThere is a renewed interest in policy initiatives that aim to ruralize and regionalize immigration in Canada. These efforts are visible through temporary foreign worker programs linked to Provincial Nominee Programs, as well as the increase in the number of refugee resettlement programs in smaller communities. Against this backdrop, cities in Canada are experiencing a housing crisis. There is a tacit assumption that immigrants in smaller and more rural settings will fare better with respect to housing. This paper examines the assumptions underpinning efforts to ruralize and regionalize immigration—namely that immigrants to smaller centres will find more affordable and available housing. By presenting two case studies of small towns that have successfully leveraged immigration to meet their labour market needs, this paper demonstrates that housing remains a critical issue for newcomers, even outside of large urban centres. Further, the paper argues that discussions about housing need to be linked to broader policy conversations about immigration and labour, especially in contexts where transnational corporations leverage immigration and temporary labour programs to secure their workforce, without parallel investments in infrastructure and housing.

Circular Migrant Workers and Housing in Indian Cities: A View from Ahmedabad

The paper examines the living spaces and related experiences of circular labour migrants in the construction sector in Ahmedabad; and interrogates the urban policy, planning and governance regimes as well as labour legislation and governance regimes shaping these. The paper also pays attention to migrants’ agency in shaping their housing in the city in the context of these regimes and their own multilocal lives. Their housing question is also situated in the context of the broader housing question of the urban poor which consists of a diversity of groups facing shared and differentiated exclusions and vulnerabilities in the city.

How Can Scholarship Contribute to Housing Justice? Three Roles for Researchers

ABSTRACT This article discusses three ways that research, within and outside academia, can contribute to housing activism. First, we discuss the role that documentation, using non-traditional methods such as film, art, and social media, can play in expanding the visibility of struggles and in politicizing people in the process. Second, we consider how a “politics of resourcefulness” can support activism, by channelling material support from universities and other institutions, asking research questions of interest and relevance to activists, and by investigating the barriers to, and opportunities for, sustained participation in activism. Third we analyse how recent and historic scholarship has re-imagined what housing means by locating it in a wider political sphere, of (anti)racism, participatory justice, and self-determination. We argue that such works, whilst not necessarily directly engaged in on-the-ground struggles, create a conceptual “guide for action”, that stretch the question of housing (in)justice beyond (re)distribution to questions of (anti)racism, (anti)colonialism and participatory justice.

The return of the housing question

The return of the housing question

Taming ‘wild’ Vienna? The handling of informal settlements by the planning authorities – perspectives, discourse, (counter)actions in the interwar and post-war periods

ABSTRACT This paper presents a periodized overview of informal urbanization in Vienna in the twentieth century. It offers a new perspective on the evolution of planning discourse and the phenomenon’s handling by planning authorities. The variegated manifestations of ‘Informal Vienna’ triggered an ongoing dispute on how orderly city development could be re-established after 1945. Our approach combines quantitative and qualitative aspects and illuminates not only the shifting significance of informal urbanization over several decades – especially in their lengthy formalization process – but also highlights the co-evolution of formal planning and the Viennese informal ‘grand project’. In a comparative historical analysis based on the evaluation of the balances of formal and informal production of space, previous narratives of Red Vienna’s dominant role in answering the ‘housing question’ in the interwar period (and beyond) are challenged. The frictions it created with the instruments and categories of formal planning, we argue, are crucial to understanding the consequences of informal development in Vienna. Furthermore, we present a typological approach on the grades of informality which allows for a reconstruction of the formalization processes in time. This ‘graduation of informality’ contributes to the ongoing attempts to classify various manifestations of informal urban development in the global South and North.

Precarious housing and health inequalities in Spain since the crisis

Abstract Background Housing is considered crucial to human existence and has been recognized as a key social determinant of health. However, the “housing question” has become a major issue in high-income countries. In this context, the concept of precarious housing has emerged to describe the increasing prevalence of insecure and unstable housing conditions. However, its research has been limited to very specific national and temporal contexts. To address this gap, the present paper aims to study the predictors of precarious housing and its impact on health inequalities in the Spanish context since the GFC. Methods The methodology will consist of a multilevel analysis of pooled cross-sectional data from the Spanish Survey of Living Conditions (ECV) 2007-2020 (N = 51882) to identify the predictors of housing precariousness. Then, we are going to examine the associations between precarious housing and health outcomes and inequalities through multivariate logistic regressions. Results Our descriptive results show that precarious housing has become a persistent problem in the Spanish context. Furthermore, we found that precarious housing levels are unevenly distributed across the population along axes of inequality. In this respect, tenure status emerges as a critical predictor. Compared to outright homeowners, mortgage homeowners, market rental tenants, social rental tenants, and free cession dwellers experience significantly higher levels of housing precariousness (RR: 6.53, CI: 5.97 - 7.15; RR:8.10, CI:7.37-8.91; RR:5.72, CI:5.06-6.48; and RR:1.41, CI:1.21-1.65 respectively). Finally, we show that precarious housing conditions are significant predictors of health outcomes and inequalities. The odds ratio (OR) of reporting lower self-reported health increases with the number of precarious housing levels: 1.68 (CI: 1.52-1.85) for one level, 2.43 (CI: 1.94-3.03) for two levels, and 3.55 (CI: 2.23-5.67) for three levels. Key messages • Precarious housing is influenced by axes of inequality such as age, gender or nationality. • Health inequalities are strongly associated with precarious housing conditions.

Political economy of the ‘informal’ housing question: institutional-hybridity of the postcolonial state

In recent years, International Political Economy (IPE) scholars have increasingly turned their attention to cities. However, their primary focus has been on the role of a select few global ‘cities’ that regulate global flows of capital, goods, and services. Nonetheless, a significant gap in the IPE literature pertains to the limited exploration of how processes of neoliberal globalization are impacting and regulating the low-income ‘informal’ housing sector in cities located in the global South. To address this gap in the existing IPE literature, this paper critically analyzes the processes of formation and demolition of informal housing settlements against the backdrop of the neoliberal regime of accumulation. Informal housing settlements have been extensively examined by critical geographers and scholars in the field of urban studies. What distinguishes this paper is its unique contribution to the literature on IPE, that is, it utilizes the political economy of informal housing settlements as an entry point to critically analyze social ontology and the inherent contradictions of the postcolonial state. The paper argues that the relationship between informal housing settlements and the postcolonial state can be better understood through the lens of the ‘institutional hybridity.’ This concept refers to the fusion of contradictory socio-economic and institutional impulses within the postcolonial state, which aims to manage social reproduction and capitalist accumulation simultaneously. The inherent tension between social reproduction and accumulation manifests in the informal housing settlements in the form of a dialectic of ‘benevolence-violence.’ On one hand, the postcolonial state attempts to appear ‘benevolent’ towards marginalized groups by ‘allowing’ them to establish informal housing settlements through a multi-layered network of clientelism. On the other hand, the postcolonial state resorts to violent displacement of marginalized groups as soon as they pose obstacles to real estate-led capitalist accumulation. Thus, the paper contends that IPE scholars should carefully consider the political economy of informal housing settlements, as it provides captivating insights into the mechanisms through which the postcolonial state becomes subject to regulation and is pulled in different directions by the socio-economic forces of neoliberal globalization.

‘Sure why would they need Irish?’: Scoil an tSeachtar Laoch, Ballymun, and working-class decolonisation, c.1970-73

This article examines the struggle carried out by working-class Irish-language activists in Ballymun to found a gaelscoil (Irish-medium school) in the early 1970s. The article is based on archival research and interviews with two key participants involved in the campaign for Scoil an tSeachtar Laoch, Éilís Uí Langáin and Colm Ó Torna. The campaign to establish the school is viewed through the lenses of class and decolonisation. Firstly, the long-term socio-economic and political contexts to the campaign are outlined. Secondly, the social base and the pre-existing networks and ideology which allowed the campaign to develop are explored. Following this, the emergence of the campaign and its politics are examined. Finally, the lasting impact of the struggle for the school both locally and nationally is discussed. The conclusion reached is one that is of the utmost importance for Irish language, gaelscoil and decolonial activists, namely that it will be difficult to replicate the success of Ballymun again today in the neoliberal context because the material basis in terms of secure housing and a tight-knit urban community does not exist. At a time when there has been much talk in Irish revivalist circles about promoting Irish in Dublin with the launch of the Baile Átha Cliath le Gaeilge (Dublin For Irish) scheme, the history of Ballymun and Scoil an tSeachtar Laoch demonstrates how a secure home is the lynchpin on which real communal progress with regard the Irish language must be based. It is therefore necessary for those who wish to see the Irish language flourish in the city to learn the lessons of history and improve, first and foremost, the day-to-day lives of ordinary Dubliners by becoming active on the burning question of housing.

Landlords vs Tenants = Top vs Bottom? Class Positions in Rental Housing in Germany

Home ownership status is closely linked to social inequality in Germany, where tenants face several disadvantages in multiple dimensions. Even though Germany is one of the biggest renter and therefore landlord nations, in the context of the housing question it is the demand side that has been discussed and studied most. Less attention has been given to the supply side, particularly individual small-scale landlords. This article is one of the first attempts to shed light on the largest provider group that literally holds the keys to homes in its hands. Drawing on quantitative data, this article examines the socioeconomic profiles of landlords compared to tenants over time, finding landlords in the upper strata and witnessing long-term wealth divides in relation to tenants. Coupled with structural power imbalances during tenancies, this research seeks to stimulate research on private renting in the future from a class perspective.

Engels and the housing question 150 years on: A roundtable discussion

How far does the current housing crisis resemble the housing question as Friedrich Engels analysed it 150 years ago? Three housing experts, Linda Clarke, Michael Edwards and Paul Watt, explored this question in a panel discussion at the Marx Memorial Library on 30 January 2023, chaired by Marjorie Mayo, editor of Theory and Struggle. They pointed to the continuing relevance of much of Engels’s approach, rooted in a Marxist analysis of industrialisation, urbanisation and conflicting class interests in relation to land ownership, property development and the housing crisis. Market forces continue to drive so many people out of city centres, for a start. The panellists then went on to identify some of the issues that Engels missed (particularly the role of the construction industry) as well as some of the issues that were not so evident in Engels’s time, such as the changing nature of state intervention, the roles of local authorities and the unions, and the increasing influence of the financial sector. The discussion concluded by focusing on what a progressive government could be doing to ensure that decent housing is provided as a right, and how to link housing struggles with wider struggles, fighting for a more sustainable future for us all.

The American Housing Question: Racism, Urban Citizenship, and the Privilege of Mobility

The American Housing Question: Racism, Urban Citizenship, and the Privilege of Mobility

HOUSING FOR THE GREATEST NUMBER IN LISBON (1960S-1970S): OLIVAIS AND TELHEIRAS. ANALYSIS OF DOMESTIC SPACE IN RELATION TO THE WAYS OF LIFE OF DIFFERENT SOCIAL CLASSES

Olivais Norte (1955-1959), Olivais Sul (1960-1964) and Telheiras Sul (1974) are paradigmatic cases that demonstrate how in Lisbon, with state support, developments on a city scale were able to address the question of housing for the greatest number. They embodied the idea that resolving the housing question meant thinking not only about the dwelling space, […]

150 Years of the Housing Question

The global housing problem remains unresolved for more than two centuries and still has no solution’s prospect. The research presents a view of the evolution and development of public and private housing policies, commencing from the problem raised by Friedrich Engels in two works: The Condition of the Working Class in England, from 1845, and The Housing Question, from 1872. Since then, in the period of the Industrial Revolution (term created by Engels), so much has been done for the housing problem, but little has been solved. The performance of the State about this problem begins to gain space in the middle of the 19th century, with “hygienist urbanism”, based on Haussmann, through the Welfare State, from the beginning of the 20th century until near 1970, and derailing in austerity and neoliberal policies to the present day, with rare exceptions, such as Brazil, which had built a Welfare State adjusted with neoliberalism, forming a unique development policy, but which has not been able to solve the problems of the capitalist structure, including housing.

The Housing Question a century and a half later: Notes from New York City

New York City serves as an entry point for a brief reflection on today’s housing question. Drawing on Friedrich Engels’ inspiring work in the late 19th century, it is argued that some issues he pointed out are still present and have become endemic to the capitalist city, while others have emerged amidst recent economic and health crises. In the US economic growth machine and in one of the global capitals, working-class, vulnerable, and unemployed populations still suffer precarious and unworthy dwelling conditions, and finding a place to live is gradually becoming more complex. With many people struggling after the pandemic, homelessness is also growing. The situation comes after decades of defunding public housing, dismantling rent regulations, and neglecting welfare protections in an increasingly financialized housing market that privileges profits over human rights. However, these issues are not unique to NYC; similar accounts can be found throughout urban geographies worldwide. We need to think locally and globally about the current housing question, improve cooperation across housing justice groups and social movements, and prompt a debate about ways to rethink the tenancy regime alongside the capitalist system that has proven incapable of providing housing for everyone.

Social and Climate (In-)Equality Perspectives within the SDGs: Introducing the Inequality and Poverty Assessment Model for a Sustainable Transformation of Housing

In this paper, we bring issues of inequality as a cross-cutting principle to all SDGs with a critical perspective on power relations, exemplified through the relevant social question of housing. For this purpose, we have developed the inequality and poverty assessment model (IPAM), a systematic approach for streamlining problems and solutions within the SDG-framework in an inequality-sensitive way, serving as a guideline to screen topics for five dimensions of social and environmental justice: (a) distribution, (b) procedure and participation, (c) fairness in climate and environmental adaptation, (d) legitimacy and (e) recognition. Following a mixed-methods research design with expert interviews, stakeholder workshops, document analysis and an extensive literature review, we identify areas of concern, such as the interlinkage of energy efficient, affordable and climate-friendly housing, and elaborate on strategies and policy recommendations to support affordable and sustainable housing, in the specific context of urban (in)equalities in Austria. We recommend three sets of measures on the (I) De-commodification of housing by remunicipalisation, (II) De-commodification by spatial and building planning and regulated land use and (III) Strategies for more inclusive housing.