E-Module Chapter 7: Solutions and Responses
This chapter presents a broad catalogue of possible “solutions” for housing related needs and demands. It turns out that the most central cornerstone to tackling all these challenges is the creation of affordable and suitable housing in substantial quantity. However, just "build, build, build" might not be sustainable either; Instead, structural vacancy and speculative investment in housing need to be tackled.
Our final chapter therefore rather is an invitation to the readers to browse possible options and critically assess their applicability under specific local and regional circumstances as well as their potential advantages and drawbacks. As part of this e-module, we invite you to engage further with the aspects introduced in the PusH textbook.
Consolidating knowledge
- Key Concepts: Chapter 7 starts from the assessment that the central cornerstone for tackling most challenges related to precarious housing is the creation of affordable and suitable housing in substantial quantity. Recap why lack of affordable housing is so crucial.
- Reflection Task. The Housing Situation in Your Country: Figure 1 of chapter 7 in the PusH textbook gives a rough overview on tenure system groups in the EU. Starting from there and making use of the source document, try to find out about the particular framework conditions for housing in your country.
Listening in
- PusH Podcast - Episode 11: in this episode of the PusH podcast, Dr. Justin Kadi of Vienna University of Technology talks about potential solutions to some of the housing problems outlined in the PusH textbook. He especially looks at how
cities in Europe depart from the dominant neoliberal paradigm and start to
implement what he terms post-neoliberal housing policies.
Getting active
- Group Discussion: Rethinking 'Home'. Get back to one of the first and maybe one of the most essential questions of the PuSH-Project: What is 'Home'?
- Research Task. Collaborative Housing: Find out more about collaborative housing in your region and elaborate your oppinion.
- Research Task. Housing Activism – Histories of Solidarity and Rights to Home in Ireland: Delve into the history of housing activism in Ireland and learn valuable lessons for today.
- Writing Task: Renters Unions and Evading Eviction – Housing in L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Spain. Learn more about Housing movements in Spain by engaging with the example of L’Hospitalet de Llobregat.
- Writing Task. Solutions for the Redevelopment of Roma Settlements: This task on the redevelopment of Roma settlements is based on the task Group Task on the redevelopment of Roma settlements from chapter 5.
Digging deeper
- Case Study. The Grand Hotel Cosmopolis: This case study presents the Grand Hotel Cosmopolis, a project which combine an art space, a café and a refugee shelter.
- Case Study. Plan Einstein as a Neighborhood Based Form of Refugee Accommodation: In this case study you learn more about the attempts of Utrechts Plan Einstein to combine neighborhood services and refugee accommodation.
- Further Reading. Collaborative Urban Development: Cooperative City Magazine brings the stories of collaborative urban development processes in different areas in Europe. It is a project run by Eutropian, a company and association developing collaborative planning processes in various cities in Europe.
- Further Reading. Effective Schemes for Housing Affordability: Take a look at the structure of the housing market in Central and Eastern Europe to understand affordability in this region's specific context.
- Further Reading. Housing Conditions of Roma: Learn about good practice on legalization of land and buildings, upgrading of (informal) Roma settlements and the provision of social housing.
- Further Reading. Impact Report of the End Street Homelessness Campaign: This impact report gives an idea about the World Habitat Organisations' campaign to end street homeless, which was organized with 40 partner organizations across 11 European Cities.
- Further Reading. Municipal Housing Policies: In many cities in the developed world, the housing question has returned. City governments are implementing new policies, ranging from small tweaks to major overhauls of the neoliberal model. Justin Kadi, Lisa Vollmer and Samuel Stein take a look at New York City, Berlin and Vienna, assessing these cities' current housing policies through the criteria of affordability, decommodification and democratization.
- Further Reading. Reform of the Financial System: To curb the financialization of housing, the banking system needs to be reformed. Explore some examples for household debt solutions from CEE countries.
- Further Reading. Social Innovation in Asylum Accommodation: Grandhotel Cosmopolis is a prominent example of local civil society innovation in asylum accommodation in Germany. Learn more about Grandhotel Cosmopolis in a paper by Marielle Zill, Bas Spierings and PsuH-team member Ilse van Liempt.
- Further Reading. What Role Can Architecture Play in Combatting Homelessness: This report from the Housing Solutions Platform gives some ideas about the potential of architecture to combat homelessness.
Last modified: Wednesday, 21 September 2022, 12:33 PM