New public housing: a selective model disguised as universal? Implications of the market adaptation of Swedish public housing

Abstract

Building upon the universal characteristics of the social democratic welfare regime, public housing in Sweden has traditionally been a central instrument in contributing to socially inclusive cities; however, changes in policy have gradually changed the landscape. This paper presents concerns for public housing's endeavour for social inclusion and suggests that the universal approach, of which Swedish public housing is a standing role model, is diminishing in favour of an ambiguous model of universal discourse and selective output. A ‘New Public Housing’ is emerging with higher thresholds, making it harder for economically disadvantaged groups to gain access to housing; at the same time, this is compensated by the increase of ‘social contracts’, which provides the financially vulnerable with an entrance to the housing market, however on very uncertain conditions. Increasingly catering for the most well off and the most vulnerable in society, this New Public Housing appears to exist in a contradictory state between its claims of universalism and the practice of excluding certain groups.