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Restrictive zoning and NIMBY attitudes have left nearly a third of neighborhoods across the United States with few options for renters. The concentration of rental housing in some neighborhoods and the exclusion of rental options from others reinforces enduring patterns of residential segregation by race and income. Neighborhoods with a lower share of rental housing are disproportionately suburban, higher-income, and white. We use the concept of rental deserts to highlight places with few rental opportunities for households and define these as neighborhoods where rental units make up less than 20% of the housing stock. We examine the characteristics of rental deserts, arguing that uneven geographies of rental opportunities bolster patterns of socioeconomic and racial segregation because renters are disproportionately lower-income and people of color. We investigate variations in the spatial distribution of rental deserts across and within metropolitan areas as well as resulting segregation by mapping divergence indices that measure the unevenness of rental housing within metropolitan areas. We find an association between rental deserts and a lack of neighborhood-level racial and economic diversity. We also find that restrictive zoning and land use regimes are associated with the presence of rental deserts, a finding that generally holds in cities and suburbs alike. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geographic location of housing significantly affects social capital, which supports socioeconomic networks vital for sustainable community development. This study examines Addis Ababa’s government-led Integrated Housing Development Program (IHDP) in Ethiopia, which has built over 250,000 condominiums, primarily at the urban periphery. Using a survey of 1,018 households, the study examines the mediating role of residents’ perceptions of social capital on the relationship between location and overall satisfaction with their housing. Our findings reveal that residents residing at urban periphery locations perceive lower access to social capital compared to their counterparts at urban locations, contributing to reduced overall satisfaction residing at their condominiums. While the IHDP has had a notable impact in addressing the dire need for affordable housing in the city, these findings demonstrate that geographic location of IHDP development significantly affects social capital outcomes, potentially hindering the long-term sustainability of communities in urban peripheral areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the role of the right to (culturally) adequate housing in the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (fcnm) and its monitoring process conducted by the Advisory Committee on the fcnm. The research aims to reveal potential systemic failings concerning the housing of minorities across Europe by identifying common threads related to housing in the most recent Opinions and Government Comments. The paper begins by highlighting the importance of adequate housing conditions that fulfil an individual’s needs and interests, particularly for members of minorities who face uncertainty and discrimination in their journey towards adequate housing. Various international human rights treaties obligate states to respect, protect, and fulfil the right to culturally adequate housing, which plays a pivotal role in preserving their culture and traditional way of life. However, the role of the fcnm in protecting minorities’ housing rights has been understudied, and the discussion is merely ancillary. Thus, this paper aims to fill the knowledge gap by analysing all Opinions and Government Comments for each state’s two most recently completed Reporting Cycles systematically. The paper concludes that the fcnm has a significant role to play in protecting minorities’ housing rights, and more attention should be given to this aspect in the monitoring process conducted by the Advisory Committee on the fcnm. The findings of this research could help improve the protection of minorities’ housing rights across Europe and contribute to the overall goal of promoting social inclusion and equality for all. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies of family financial assistance with home ownership have focused exclusively on vertical forms of assistance, in which members of older generations help younger relatives to finance home ownership. Consideration of the role of siblings has been limited to accounts of their competing requests for assistance, leaving the topic of lateral assistance between siblings absent from these discussions. This article presents findings from interviews with 80 donors and recipients of family financial assistance with home ownership in Australia, which included a significant number of sibling donors and recipients. It argues that sibling assistance is often provided to compensate for an absent parent, protect the assets of parents or restore perceived fairness. In so doing, it challenges the notion of parent donors as the arbiters of fairness in family financial assistance with home ownership and outlines some of the practices through which lateral financial assistance between siblings tends to be transmitted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To estimate associations between the length of state-level eviction moratoria enacted in March and April 2020 in the United States and perinatal outcomes. We used data from natality files, 2020–2021 to identify individuals with Medicaid or no insurance who conceived in March-May 2020. The exposure was the number of months exposed to a moratorium (0 (referent, no state-level moratoria), 1–2, 3–4, 5 or more). Outcomes included preterm birth (PTB, < 37 weeks gestation), very preterm birth (VPTB, < 32 weeks gestation), low birthweight (LBW, < 2500 g), very low birthweight (VLBW, < 1500 g), primary cesarean, or maternal morbidity. We estimated risk ratios (RRs) using log-binomial regression, including individual, county, and state-level confounders. We conducted several sensitivity analyses to rule out residual state-level confounding including a negative control analysis of 2019 conceptions and difference-in-difference analysis. We included 375,821 births. Following adjustment, having a moratorium in place for 5 or more months was associated with slightly reduced risk of PTB (RR: 0.95, 95 % CI: 0.88, 1.02), VPTB (RR: 0.90, 95 % CI: 0.8–1.01), LBW (RR: 0.95, 95 % CI: 0.9–1.01), and VLBW (RR: 0.91, 95 % CI: 0.81–1.02) compared to states without a moratorium. There was no association with cesarean or maternal morbidity. Sensitivity analyses showed that all or most of the observed associations may be explained by residual state-level confounding. State-level eviction moratoria were associated with improved birth outcomes, yet it is likely that all or most of the observed association is due to other policy actions or characteristics of enacting states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, debates and contributions on urban commons have mushroomed. At the same time, the recent and unprecedented health and social crisis has revived the relevance of the collective (often in the form of public) response to cover basic needs. The research objective in this paper is twofold: firstly, we explore the potential and limits of the current scenario in the Barcelona region regarding political experimentation at the municipal level, analyzing different examples of commoning experiences in basic services. Secondly, we question and recast the classical commons theories applied to the urban infrastructures sector through three specific cases (water, energy, and housing). We build on a qualitative approach, using a comparative perspective, to study three experiences of commoning practices on basic urban infrastructures in the Metropolitan Region of Barcelona. The core of our contribution navigates between the discussion on the urban commons and their particularities compared to classical commons theories, and the role of infrastructures as commons in this new urban field. Our research also highlights how the commons offer useful guidelines to reformulate and reconfigure the relationship between subjects, needs, and power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Municipal climate resiliency and re-naturing plans are promoting greening and green (re)development, such as the inclusion of new parks, greenways, or rehabilitated shorelines, frequently as a-political, win-win solutions for all residents. Greenwashing and (re)development of green amenities in vulnerable neighborhoods—those often most in need of support toward resilience and adaptation—expose residents to the impacts of green gentrification, such as the pricing-out and physical displacement from housing, socio-cultural displacement from public space, and associated personal and community traumas. This paper explores an under-researched avenue in the green gentrification literature: How do grassroots community activists organize to address housing and greening simultaneously and how do they operate to achieve justice in greening neighborhoods? We examined the strategies and tools used by community groups in 10 cities in the United States facing green gentrification. We find that justice-driven strategies and tools are supported by the formation of multi-sectoral coalitions which strengthen what we define as "community infrastructures"—social, economic, and political capacities—against exclusive green-washing. We argue that each of the three capacities must be built amongst residents in order to fortify the material and immaterial components of community infrastructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyses household heterogeneity in the valuation of lifetime heating energy costs. The valuation is estimated from the willingness to pay higher upfront costs at the moment of installing a residential heating system to obtain savings in heating costs over its lifetime. We combine extensive administrative register data on new houses built in Finland during 2010-2011 with local electricity prices and engineering estimates of heat consumption and estimate a mixed logit model of heating system choice. The data allow defining the valuation as a function of several observable household characteristics. On average, households are willing to pay €7 more in upfront costs to obtain annual savings of €1 in heating costs over the lifetime of the heating system. However, we find considerable heterogeneity across households and a valuation ranging from €2 to €15 in higher upfront costs. The relatively low valuation indicates policy measures could be needed to accelerate energy efficiency investments in the detached housing stock. Furthermore, the notable heterogeneity suggests the cost-effectiveness of policy measures can be improved by targeting the households with lowest valuations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Squatting has long been a crucial form of direct action in housing struggles across the globe, in which women have always played an important part. However, despite recent calls to inflect housing studies with feminist, decolonial, and queer praxis, scholarship on women's role in London's squatting story remains significantly underdeveloped. Their absence becomes even more apparent when we consider that squatting's second wave occurred simultaneously with that of feminism, during which time the home was articulated as a key site of feminist struggle. This paper therefore draws from materials authored by and about women during this period to trace broad contours of their involvement in London's squatting history, focusing in particular on two avenues which call for further critical inquiry, namely: (1) the mobilisation of the 'mother' figure in press and public narratives, contrasted against the demonisation of young, single women for whom squatting defied popular understandings of how femininity should be performed; and (2) the world-building capacities of squatted domestic violence refuges, which provided safe spaces for women escaping violent partners and shared with squatting an autonomous, self-help ethos. At stake here is an understanding of what it meant for women to take (up) and remake space in late twentieth century London, and how similar feminist actions continue to enrich contemporary understandings of squatting as a radical, intersectional, and vital practice in ongoing struggles for urban housing justice worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Renewed attention to social reproduction theory has generated fresh scholarly interest in socialist-feminist movements from the 1970s-80s such as Wages for Housework. While the critique of domestic labour mounted by the international Wages for Housework campaign is widely known, less attention has been paid to the spatial dimension of their politics. This paper therefore investigates the relations between social reproduction feminism and urban geography, with special reference to the Toronto Wages for Housework committee. On the basis of archival research, I examine how Wages for Housework Toronto collaborated with other urban social groups such as immigrant domestic workers, shelter operators, tenants, and welfare activists to challenge dominant views about property and work. This historical-geographical study shows that a key lesson from Wages for Housework in Canada consists in considering urbanization as an essential element in the relationship between production and reproduction. I argue in conclusion that this critical spatial perspective on social reproduction holds vital political implications for making sense of contemporary crises of care in cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Welfare programs place burdens on citizens to document their vulnerability through means-tested regulations in the United States, but theories of the welfare state do not necessarily account for mismatches between residents' eligibility and their legibility to state infrastructure. Focusing on housing instability during the COVID-19 pandemic, we explain how Chicago residents who were eligible for emergency rental assistance programs (ERAPs) were unable to render their vulnerability and survival strategies legible to formal bureaucratic systems. This meant that despite the extensive federal funding allocated to state and municipal ERAPs during the pandemic, many people who were behind on rent did not even apply for support. Based on 76 in-depth interviews with low-income renters and 25 interviews with people working with these programs in Chicago, we document three mismatches between renters' survival strategies and the requirements of formal bureaucratic systems of categorization. First, we illustrate how people who informally leased apartments in Chicago struggled to properly document their housing instability and the administrative burdens they faced in doing so. Second, because of acute housing precarity and fear of eviction, some renters prioritized their rent over other needs and then could not translate their vulnerability into ERAP eligibility. Third, we explain how undocumented Chicagoans often avoided ERAPs because of the perceived risks associated with becoming legible to the state. Being unable or unwilling to access aid created a cascade of other precarious conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a vulnerable population, immigrants can be disproportionately affected by disasters. Because of their legal and migratory status, immigrants may have different challenges, needs, and possibilities when facing a disaster. Yet, within disaster studies, immigrants are rarely studied alone. Instead, they are often considered part of the large heterogeneous group of racial and ethnic minorities in the United States. This racial classification points to a gap in the literature and in our understanding of how disadvantaged groups may cope with disasters. To address this gap, the current study hypothesizes that: (1) Immigrants have unique experiences and disaster impacts compared to the broader aggregated category of racial and ethnic minorities in the U.S. and (2) There are variations in disaster experiences and impacts across different types of immigrant subgroups beyond refugees. To explore these hypotheses, a study of the literature across six databases from 2018 to 2023was conducted. The review identified a total of 17 articles discussing immigrant experiences during disasters. Major cross-cutting themes on immigrant disaster experiences include fear of deportation, restrictive immigration status, excessive economic burden and labor exploitation, employment rigidity, adverse health outcomes, limited informational resources and limited social capital, selective disaster relief measures, and infrastructural challenges as regards to housing and transportation. Many of the themes identified are unique to immigrants, such as the fear of deportation, restrictive immigration status and visa policies, and selective disaster relief measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Decades of colonial and apartheid urban spatial planning have left South Africa’s cities socially segregated and physically fragmented, with poor households confined to the outskirts. These urban realities remain a challenge to most local authorities three decades after the demise of apartheid. Using project data and a set of 30 qualitative interviews, we examined Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality’s approach to megaprojects, also known as ‘catalytic’ projects, implemented through South Africa’s Integrated Residential Development Programme, whose vision is to restructure the city to ensure spatial integration and private sector involvement. We use evolutionary governance theory to show goal dependency, path dependency and interdependencies in South Africa’s housing policy, and we evaluate our findings against the literature on megaprojects. Our findings point to the shortcomings of this vision: the small scale of the projects, problems with the devolution of the housing function from provincial to local government and power play, difficulties in keeping to project plans, and problems with the implementation to ensure diverse housing options and increased densities, and reduced attention to informal settlement upgrading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anglophone countries are diversifying their responses to housing insecurity, decentring social housing and expanding use of market-oriented assistance that aims to promote "housing independence". Drawing on fieldwork in three Australian jurisdictions, this paper examines the impact of this shift for how housing assistance is allocated. We argue that allocations practices can no longer be understood as centred on the rationing of a single product – social housing. Rather, they nowadays perform a "social sorting" function that mimics those developed in consumer marketing, where personal information is collected to classify and segment consumers to match them to tailored "products". These practices sort households based on their "capacity for independence", aiming to maximize market engagement and reserving social housing for those with the most complex needs. We conclude that these sorting practices ignore both the realities of private renting in Australia (as elsewhere) and the self-defined housing needs of low-income households. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We argue for use of the narrative concept of the "turning point" in homelessness research from a critical social psychology perspective. BackgroundTurning points are often understood as rifts in the life course followed by significant change in direction. However, within narrative theory they are not events but subjectively significant features of the person's life-story. The turning point as narrative toolThe analysis identified how turning points were deployed by participants in a study of homelessness experiences. Participants used the turning point in constructing themselves as agentic, reformed individuals who had gained insight. However, this did not necessarily bring positive life changes. Data extracts are used to illustrate the power of adopting a constructivist, narrative theoretical orientation in understanding turning points in accounts of homelessness. Implications for practiceViewing turning points in this way may help us understand how best to provide support for people without housing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intergenerational disparities in housing have emerged across countries, giving rise to narratives of "generation rent". Despite popularization of the term across academia and public discourse, it remains nebulous, divisive, and lacking nuance. Through seven propositions, this paper synthesizes recent evidence to more accurately capture the breadth of young adults' housing inequalities and advance debates surrounding "generation rent". It begins by addressing its drivers, describing shifts in the political economy of (rental) housing which disproportionately disadvantage young adults. It then identifies features of "generation rent", illuminating heterogeneity between socio-economic groups, housing situations, and rental types. Finally, it charts outcomes of housing market pressures which reshape lives and livelihoods across generations, albeit in different ways. To this end, this paper puts forward a new classification of four sub-categories conspicuous in the historically homogenized notion of "generation rent", namely "second generation owner", "delayed buyer", "tenant" and "precariat". It argues that, harnessed correctly, "generation rent" can be a useful lens to illustrate wider housing sector transformations and their effects for class-stratification and the reproduction of socio-economic inequalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined differences in middle-aged adults' preferred features of their current versus future residential environments and how these differences varied by health and social characteristics. A sample of 1,651 Korean middle-aged adults (aged 49–64) rated their preferences for each of 12 features (e.g., proximity to family/relatives, house price) regarding current and future residential environments, separately. Respondents considered "accessibility to health services" and "opportunity for leisure activities" more important for future residential environments than for current ones. Respondents with poorer health considered features that help them compensate for health decline more important, while those who contacted friends/neighbors more frequently and participated in more cultural activities considered features that help them maintain their social interactions more important for future residential environments than the past. Our findings identified middle-aged adults' various demands for residential features after retirement, which reflect their strategic reactions to future needs for successful adaptation in later years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1. This study investigated the effects of different housing systems on oxidative defence mechanisms, heterophil functions, cellular immune response and cytokine production in laying hens. One hundred and twenty laying hens were allocated into one of four groups: conventional cages, furnished cages, deep litter, and free range. 2. Housing system did not affect malondialdehyde concentrations and enzymatic antioxidant status. Ascorbic acid values were higher in deep-litter hens than in those in conventional cages and free range. 3. Phagocytic and chemotactic activities tended to rise in the deep-litter system, and oxidative burst was higher than in furnished cages. Cytotoxic T cells were decreased in furnished cages, both cytotoxic and helper T cells decreased in deep litter compared to free range. 4. The IL-2 and IL-13 expression was higher in deep litter than in conventional cages, and IL-6 expression was higher in furnished cages than in free range. 5. Housing system had no significant effects on the oxidative defence system; however, they affected heterophil functions, cellular defence mechanisms and cytokine production. The results suggested that breeders need to consider the housing system's potential effects on immune defence responses while applying a breeding strategy appropriate for animal welfare and consumer demand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Housing system transitions often involve successive but overlapping periods of reform with crucial implications for housing inequality dynamics. Building on welfare regime and market transition discussions, this paper considers how the shifting roles of the state, market, and family in housing provision in China have led to changing housing tenures and differentiated access to them between populations with varying socio-economic resources. Drawing on two national datasets, our analyses reveal that the four decades of reforms dramatically upended urban China's tenure structure with market homeownership becoming the dominant tenure. Nevertheless, we find a substantial and increasing role of the family in housing provision, especially for people with fewer socio-economic resources. The advantages associated with better institutional resources under the previous socialist housing system not only persist in accessing state-provided tenures but have also extended their influence into market housing. Meanwhile, homeownership outcomes have become increasingly polarized among groups with different income and education levels. Our findings expose the reproduction and apparent amplification of tenure-related housing inequalities over the period of housing regime transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last decade the American single-family rental (SFR) market experienced consequential financialisation. The American SFR industry was once dominated by more local, smaller 'mom-and-pop' landlords. Despite this, little is known regarding the different types of SFR investors, what types of properties different investor types buy, and what types of neighbourhoods are targeted by different investor types. This article examines a majority-Black American city, Memphis, Tennessee. A city impacted significantly by the subprime mortgage crisis and this subsequent rise in SFR investors in the years that followed. Using multivariate statistics, we find institutional investors are less likely to buy a property in relatively poorer condition than categorically smaller investors. Moreover, institutional actors are more likely to purchase an SFR if it is newer, lower-valued, and located in a neighbourhood with relatively large Black or Hispanic populations and a lower-poverty rate. These findings challenge some of the existing SFR investor literature and have implications for urban planning, research, and policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social housing is an asset-intensive business, and the value of these assets globally runs into trillions of dollars. Although knowledge about social housing asset management practices is limited the evidence suggests assets may not be effectively managed. In social housing research asset management at the strategic level has been conceptualized but how strategy relates to tactics and operations has not attracted attention although the need for this to occur has been identified. This article provides a guide for social housing asset management as a comprehensive, integrated system, drawn from the relatively new field of Asset Management, filling a significant knowledge gap. The work draws on a collaboration between academics and industry stakeholders to develop a specialist asset management manual for social housing organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The regulation of financial markets according to Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) criteria has become a priority for the European Union (EU). Recent legislation, such as the EU Green Taxonomy, aims to identify sustainable investments enhancing transparency and accountability while steering private finance toward environmental objectives. The introduction of ESG criteria poses specific questions for Social Housing Organisations (SHOs), particularly as the decarbonisation of the housing stock is also incorporated into national legislation. This article contributes to the social housing finance literature by breaking ground on ESG, an area of intensive legislative activity currently re-shaping financial markets. The study draws from interviews with SHOs' finance directors, banking officers, rating agencies and public officials to answer the question: How does the introduction of ESG legislation affect the financing of social housing decarbonisation? First, the results show that ESG legislation is broadening reporting responsibilities while producing only limited additional finance ultimately geared towards large and commercially oriented SHOs. Second, the expansion of energy-efficiency requirements is resulting in higher costs creating tensions with SHOs' social mission of building homes at affordable rents. Third, the adoption of ESG financing is producing inequalities in access to capital across national financing systems and individual providers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People spend a substantial amount of time at home, so it is important that homes are safe, healthy environments. Damp and mould represent common housing problems but little is known about their potential psychological effects. This scoping review explores existing literature on the relationship between household damp/mould and psychological wellbeing. Systematic searches of six databases were conducted, supplemented by hand-searches. Thirty studies were included; 21/24 (87.5%) found significant univariate associations between damp/mould and psychological outcomes and 13/17 (76.5%) found that damp/mould remained significant independent predictors in multivariate analyses. Qualitative data from six studies revealed that participants feared potential physical health consequences of damp/mould and felt self-conscious about clothes/homes smelling damp. Our findings suggest that exposure to damp and mould accounts for a significant amount of variance in psychological outcomes. Improving housing quality, ensuring healthcare professionals are aware of the psychological health effects of damp/mould and campaigns to educate the public about how to remove damp and mould may be useful. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper critically examines why young adults characterize themselves as 'lucky' when describing their housing experiences, often when those experiences reflect considerable struggle. We explore this narrative as it emerges in conversation with 29 young adults living in Toronto, Canada. Results of the analysis indicate that some young adults employ the narrative of luck to describe structural forms of privilege they experience within the housing system, while others make use of this narrative in ways that reflect their sense of disentitlement to housing. A critical interpretation of these findings suggests that these two narratives, while used by different groups of individuals, both reflect and reinforce a broader discourse of neoliberalism within the housing system. Specifically, our analysis highlights how the narrative of luck obscures structural inequalities that condition access to safe, secure and suitable housing, while simultaneously reinforcing a neoliberal ideology of (dis)entitlement to housing. We conclude our analysis by considering the implications of this narrative for the immediate- and long-term housing struggles of young adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the impacts of dwelling-based and neighbourhood-based precariousness on mental wellbeing by applying panel data modelling approaches to the 2001–2020 Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey. We find that living in unaffordable housing has the largest adverse effects on mental wellbeing among all forms of dwelling-based precariousness modelled in the study. Neighbourhood hostility and neighbourhood crime are key forms of neighbourhood-based precariousness that depress mental wellbeing. On the other hand, some forms of housing precariousness have insignificant impacts on wellbeing, in particular overcrowding and vandalism. Notwithstanding the importance of neighbourhood aspects, overall dwelling-based precariousness has a larger detrimental impact on mental wellbeing than neighbourhood-based precariousness. We test the robustness of linear models by implementing Tobit models that take into account the bounded nature of wellbeing measures that are ignored in linear models. We find that both models produce similar findings. The analysis in this study leads to important policy implications in a world that is increasingly exposed to public health crises. Importantly, the findings point to an urgency for policies and programs to be embedded within housing systems that ensure vulnerable population groups have long-term rather than temporary access to secure housing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Few studies have examined the role of residential conditions during different phases of the pandemic on life satisfaction and spousal relationships. Using survey data on 440 married women collected before, during and after the COVID-19 lockdown in Singapore, this article tests the hypothesis that residential crowding, co-residence with children or parents/in-laws and lack of access to private open, green spaces during the lockdown are associated with worsened life satisfaction and spousal relationships. Multinomial logistic regression results suggest that married women in more spacious homes were significantly less likely to experience worsened life satisfaction at the peak of movement restrictions (RRR = 0.967, p =.037), and that having access to open spaces was associated with improved life satisfaction (RRR = 3.536, p =.018) and spousal relationships (RRR = 2.267, p =.032). Housing policy in dense urban settings can increase population well-being and resilience by increasing access to co-working spaces and open green spaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Not all approaches to collaborative housing deliver equally on affordability, accessibility, and autonomy. Some cases may become expensive or enclaved, while others that are accessible and affordable may have little collaboration. This paper compares eight cases of collaborative housing in Milan and Amsterdam to understand how collaboration projects deal with demands for affordability, accessibility, and autonomy. We identify four categories of collaborative housing—common, self-promoted, co-managed, and developer-led—along the two axes of tenure type and project initiator. Trade-offs in affordability, accessibility, and autonomy always persist; however, each can be fostered by three of the types (all but developer-led) when explicitly established as core values of the project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Community Led Housing (CLH) is an umbrella term encompassing several non-profit models of housing delivery, which is used internationally. There has been little comprehensive assessment of the health impacts of housing arrangements where people intentionally live or work together in a community. This systematic review provides the first overview of the health, wellbeing and heath inequality impacts of all forms of CLH. 4,091 literature items were identified from a structured search of eight databases and manual searching for grey literature. Literature published between January 2009 and June 2022, in OECD countries, were eligible. 34 academic and 11 grey literature items were included. The review identifies far more literature reporting that CLH has positive rather than negative impacts, on primary health outcomes and on neighbourhood level factors which impact on health (social contact, employment, safety, environmental sustainability, and affordability). There is a lack of research on CLH impacts on the health of children and young people, and on health inequalities. These findings provide an indication of largely positive impacts of CLH arrangements on health and wellbeing. They indicate the importance of further longitudinal, objective research, and of policies and actions to support this form of housing delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pet ownership or animal companionship is increasingly found to be beneficial to mental and physical well-being. Despite this, housing situations and tenure, such as living in a private rental, can impact the ability to realise these benefits. Pet ownership is seldom the primary focus of discussion in housing research to date. This paper brings this issue to the forefront of housing research, recognising it as a crucial component of the overall experience within the private rented sector (PRS). We present findings from a rapid evidence assessment of the existing international evidence to provide a broad understanding of pet ownership in the PRS and, based on this review, set out a novel typology of the economic costs and benefits of renting to pet-owners. The review involved scrutiny of 51 sources published after 2000, representing the most comprehensive evidence review of the subject to date. We identified the benefits, costs, and management practices associated with allowing pets in rentals across three key stages of the tenancy. This paper highlights the need for a combination of policy measures to facilitate the acceptance of pets in rental properties and sets out a future research agenda to better understand the experience of renting with pets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores four Swedish municipalities which have reacted differently to legislation aiming to regulate a 'fair and equal' distribution of refugees: from barefaced rejection to the advocacy of refugee settlement as an investment in future citizens. Interviews with people who work with settlement show that housing is made central in different municipal strategies and creates an unequal landscape of evictability for refugees depending on where they are placed. Temporary and conditional residence permits for refugees, which have been made standard in this time of temporary legality, are simultaneously dependent on settlement strategies in municipalities: housing and access to jobs determine whether you can stay or stay with your family. This deportability of refugees is what is at stake. Yet access to housing is continuously treated as a mundane 'service': both in the categorical denial of housing and in the evaluation of what can qualify refugees to deserve settlement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The touristification of Old Havana is resulting in unique patterns of gentrification that rely on a new spatial imaginary, the enforcement of which is resulting in the loss of places for residents to be young. The Cuban state's preservation of significant proportions of social housing as part of its investments in the heritage tourism industry is disrupting common housing-led displacement in the city. The neighbourhood's economic transition is concentrated instead in public spaces, as squares and streets are taken over by new tourist-serving businesses. This process of enclosure dispossesses locals of both public and private leisure spaces, as the cost of consumption in said businesses is beyond the purchasing power afforded by Cuban salaries. The dispossession of public space is particularly problematic for local youth who, given the persistence and pervasiveness of Havana's housing crisis, spend the majority of their free time in streets and squares. This displacement of youth reinforces existing patterns of exclusion and discrimination along lines of race, class and gender. Given the particular value of public space for youth development in communities like Old Havana, this article documents the three main processes through which young people are being displaced from or dispossessed of urban public space in their neighbourhood, enclosure, sanitisation and temporary appropriation, and discusses the impacts on young peoples' place-related identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Permanent supportive housing (PSH) is long-term affordable housing with onsite social services. End-of-life care (EOLC) involves a discussion about the type of medical care an individual hopes to receive at the end of their life. This qualitative study examines the goals, desires, and expectations for EOLC for people living in PSH. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 17 formerly homeless residents in four PSH facilities in San Francisco, California and analyzed using the framework method. The interviews reveal how an individual's experience with housing precarity and with the PSH setting shape their preferences and expectations for the end of life. While PSH residents value social support in their final days, social isolation in PSH serves as a barrier to receiving such support. Results from this work can inform policies and programs to support people living in PSH in achieving their desired death. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractThis paper analyzes the effects of digitalization on the inclusivity of right to housing in Southern Europe. We examine the impact of digital capitalism on the housing market, the use of social networks by social movements to give visibility to housing needs, and the promotion of digital platforms by public authorities to reduce the digital gap and consolidate the right to housing, especially for the most vulnerable people. Drawing on qualitative data collection in Madrid, Bologna, and Athens, key dimensions of discussion include: the impact of digital transformations on the public housing and real estate market, the importance of digital literacy and resources, the role of non-governmental actors in shaping public opinion through digital social networks, and the most impacted social groups by the recent digital acceleration. The impact of digitalization on the right to housing is found to depend on factors such as the population groups, the digital gap, the territorial context, and the type of digital platform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explored the challenges faced by, and resilience of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit women living with HIV in Manitoba and Saskatchewan during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through a decolonizing, community-based research approach, guided by a Community Guiding Circle (CGC), interviews were conducted with 45 Indigenous women living with HIV. Participants were recruited via community outreach, peer networks, and social media. Data collection and analysis utilized Indigenous storywork and inductive thematic analysis. The study revealed significant barriers related to housing instability, childcare, and access to healthcare, all exacerbated by systemic inequities rooted in colonialism, patriarchy, and capitalism. Despite these challenges, Indigenous cultural practices, ceremonies, community support, and family ties emerged as crucial sources of resilience, though often disrupted during the pandemic. The findings underscore the urgent need for culturally safe, women-centered care models that integrate Indigenous knowledge and practices. For health and social care practitioners, this research emphasizes the importance of advocating for systemic change to address the unique needs of Indigenous women living with HIV and calls for the development and implementation of culturally safe health and social care tailored to their unique needs and resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The City of Boston has faced unprecedented challenges with substance use amidst changes to the illicit drug supply and increased visibility of homelessness. Among its responses, Boston developed six low threshold harm reduction housing (HRH) sites geared towards supporting the housing needs of people who use drugs (PWUD) and addressing health and safety concerns around geographically concentrated tent encampments. HRH sites are transitional supportive housing that adhere to a "housing first" approach where abstinence is not required and harm reduction services and supports are co-located. Despite the importance of HRH, the specific characteristics and operations of these sites are not well understood. This study sought to address this gap by cataloging the common features of Boston's HRH sites to generate a comprehensive inventory tool for evaluating implementation of harm reduction strategies at transitional housing locations. Methods: We collected data between June and September 2023 and included semi-structured qualitative interviews with HRH staff (n = 19), ethnographic observations and photos at six HRH sites. Candidate inventory components were derived through triangulation of the data. Two expert medical staff unaffiliated with data collection reviewed a draft inventory measuring awareness and utility of HRH inventory components. We then pilot tested the inventory with three HRH residents across two sites for readability and reliability. Awareness, frequency of use, and perceived helpfulness of key inventory items were further tested in a survey to 106 residents. Results: HRH staff identified best practices, resources, and policies in HRH sites that were further contextualized with ethnographic field notes. Common to all were overdose prevention protocols, behavioral policies, security measures, and distribution of harm reduction supplies. The initial 44-item inventory of services, policies and site best practices was further refined with expert and participant feedback and application, then finalized to generate a 32-item inventory. Residents identified and valued harm reduction services; medical supports were highly valued but less utilized. Conclusion: The HRH inventory comprehensively assesses harm reduction provision and residents' awareness and perceived helpfulness of HRH operational components in staying safe from drug-related harms. Characterizing the critical components of HRH through this tool will aid in standardizing the concept and practice of HRH for PWUD and may assist other cities in planning and implementing HRH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Egypt, for its location in the northeastern corner of Africa, is exposed to continuous tectonic activities. To the North, the subduction of the oceanic African plate under the Eurasian plate provides a seismic activity along the Hellenic and Cyprian arcs. To the East, Egypt is affected by the divergence between the African and Arabian plates along the Red Sea. The E-W fault trend is one of the three main fault trends in Egypt and it starts at the northern tip of the Gulf of Suez towards Cairo. Moreover, the government is planning to expand economically development along the Cairo-Suez Province. Most of the new housing and industrial cities are located between Cairo and Suez. To estimate of crustal deformation in the region, ∼140 Sentinel-1 SAR images were collected and distributed equally over 7 years (2015–2021). The PSI processing is applied to calculate a Line-of-sight velocity field. A GNSS station that exists in the area of study “SUEZ” as well as a close station “KATA” are analyzed using Bernese software V. 5 to validate InSAR results. The estimated horizontal velocities show the northwestern part of the study area is moving westward with 3–4 mm/yr while the southeastern zone is moving eastward with 2–4 mm/yr. The configuration of motion indicates a strike-slip motion along the local E-W fault. The velocity rate obtained from Bernese software for SUEZ station is 2 ± 0.35 mm/yr in the northeastern direction. Vertically, the northwestern part of the study area shows uplift rate of 2 mm/yr while the southeastern part along the coast of the Gulf of Suez subsides with 4–5 mm/yr. For GNSS, SUEZ station is shown to have an uplift rate of 1.55 ± 0.40 mm/yr. A remarkable agreement is noticed between the results of InSAR and GNSS for both horizontal and vertical components. Decision makers shall take such results into consideration while the large planning of investments in promising areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shared housing is a popular housing choice among low- and middle-income individuals in cities worldwide. In Ghana, the compound house, a traditional West African housing typology, presents the most common form of shared housing. While the compound house has been the subject of several past studies, little attention has been given to the sharing practices of utility costs (electricity and water). This article investigates the typologies, experiences and responses of renters to utility cost sharing in urban Ghana. Based on interviews with 35 respondents in compound houses in Asafo, Kumasi, we found that electricity and water costs are primarily shared through gadget-based and point-based systems, respectively. The adoption of these sharing practices is characterized, among others, by renters’ hesitation to declare all their gadgets due to security concerns, restriction on the usage of personal gadgets and instances of delayed or nonpayment of utility costs by certain renters. In response, some renters acquire personal meters to avoid the challenges associated with sharing. Drawing on the concept of social capital, we discuss these findings within the framing of trust, solidarity and power relations in shared housing practices and offer relevant recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19 restrictions affected people differently, depending on their housing conditions. This paper explores the relationship between the size of available living space and the emotion of “feeling depressed because of COVID-19.” For our survey participants in Berlin, Germany, the urban strategies of living small before COVID-19—everyday routines to cope with limited space, such as going to cafés, libraries, bars, and playgrounds—shaped this emotion. People with different housing conditions used these spaces differently, mitigating negative effects of limited living space. The lockdown of urban amenities removed this buffer. Younger people living alone were particularly affected. We conclude that understanding housing conditions requires including the broader residential context—the availability of amenities—as crucial for emotional well-being. This highlights the role of urban infrastructure beyond the narrow understanding of “consuming” amenities, which is often undertheorized in housing satisfaction research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Starting from the case of the Brussels housing project “Care and Living in Community”, this paper aims to contribute to debates on care and justice in the context of alternative housing initiatives and compassionate communities. Drawing on an ethnographic research in the project and using the analytical lens on the ethics of care developed by Joan Tronto, we analyse how different associations conceived a caring community and how various steps of care unfold in the project. The analysis will highlight the potential of an alternative housing initiative in developing a caring community, but also foreground some ethical dilemmas and questions that come along with mobilizing both redistributive and recognitive dimensions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adequate housing is considered a fundamental right and a key indicator of quality of life and well-being. Despite this, many countries struggle to provide suitable housing, especially for those relocated to new neighborhoods. These relocations often impact neighborly relations, as unfamiliar or newly settled neighbors may experience varying social interactions, leading to either harmony or conflict. This research aims to identify the primary issues new neighbors face, highlighting the housing problem and its effects on neighborly relations. Additionally, it will analyze the factors influencing these relationships and propose solutions, drawing on previous studies and research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Working on the foreign policy advisory group for the Bernie Sanders primary campaign in 2019 and 2020 changed the way that I process and think about politics. I saw up close the challenges that candidates face in channeling popular frustrations and demonstrating that they have the ability to address them. they have to bring together multiple majorities: in primaries, the general election, and Congress. They have to create the public that they need, though of course they do not do so under conditions of their own choosing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]