The financialisation of housing and the rise of the investor-activist

Urban Studies ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 004209802093132 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole Cook ◽  
Kristian Ruming

The financialisation of housing is seen to undermine tenants’ rights, affordable housing and planning controls in order to make housing and homes more amenable to profit extraction. However, the extent to which owner-occupiers themselves seek to influence urban development and planning processes to protect their housing assets has been less well-considered. Through an online survey of 1122 owner-occupiers in Australia, this article redresses this gap. By identifying the financial values participants attach to their home, and their inclinations to join resident action groups, we reveal that those with the strongest investment values are also most inclined to join resident action groups. Expanding conceptualisations of investors beyond institutional investors, the article reveals the agency of financialised owner-occupiers who, as investor-activists, seek to influence planning processes to secure the profitability of their own housing assets. The article thus reconceptualises resident action as a financial strategy to protect long- and short-term housing investments and, in doing so, charts the urban implications of financialised home ownership and investor subjectivities.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Marshall

Poor communities around the world have developed architecture without architects. Subsidized low-income housing has been built as if to provide only a shortterm solution. Poverty and lack of affordable housing is not a short-term problem but an ongoing issue that demands creative adaptable solutions for a changing world. Adaptable architecture is essential for the redesign of affordable housing that is environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable. In order to mend the broken bond between lower-incomes and the architectural quality of space, this design research strives to both defend and produce affordable architectural alternatives to housing through the use of adaptable design principles and strategies found within Barbados’ Vernacular Architecture, the Chattel house.


2015 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 146-173 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liangni Sally Liu ◽  
Jun Lu

New Chinese migrants from the People’s Republic of China to New Zealand are renowned for their transnational mobility. Based on an online survey among this group of migrants, this paper aims to explore how economic factors in Chinese transnational migration play out in a way different from that posited by some conventional conceptions in migration studies. For example, compared with the conventional remittance flow that usually takes place from migrant-receiving countries to migrant-sending countries, this research finds a reverse remittance transaction channel among prc migrants. This reverse remittance flow is a manifestation of China’s economic revitalization, which benefited New Zealand, especially in the recent economic crisis. It was also found that economic reasons were not decisive in an immigrant’s decision to settle in New Zealand. However, economic reasons contributed significantly to their on-going movements after arriving in New Zealand. prc immigrants’ deciding to migrate or re-migrate reflects a layering of priorities that measure the short-term goal of maintaining economic livelihood against the longer-term goal of ensuring one’s family’s overall well-being.


2022 ◽  
pp. 026540752110514
Author(s):  
Keely A. Dugan ◽  
R. Chris Fraley ◽  
Omri Gillath ◽  
Pascal R. Deboeck

Attachment theorists suggest that people construct a number of distinct working models throughout life. People develop global working models, which reflect their expectations and beliefs concerning relationships in general, as well as relationship-specific working models of close others—their mothers, fathers, romantic partners, and friends. The present research investigated the interplay of these different working models over time. We analyzed longitudinal data collected from 4,904 adults (mean age = 35.24 years; SD = 11.63) who completed between 3 and 24 online survey assessments (median test–retest interval = 35 days). Using latent growth curve modeling, we examined the associations among both long-term changes and short-term fluctuations in participants’ working models. Our findings suggest that different working models not only change together over the long run, but also exhibit co-occurring, short-term fluctuations. This was true concerning the associations between global and relationship-specific models as well as among different relationship-specific models.


Author(s):  
Gavin Shatkin

Chongqing has witnessed an extraordinary experiment in urban development intended to deploy land-based finance as a tool to overcome the social and ecological problems that have increasingly beset China’s cities. This experiment included the use of land-based financing to undertake a public housing program that added a remarkable 800,000 units of affordable housing between 2011 and 2015. It also included efforts to accelerate urbanization through reforms to the household registration, or hukou system, and efforts to give farmers greater ability to gain access to the market value of their land. This chapter places the Chongqing experience in the context of China’s state capitalist model of urban development, which is premised on the state’s ownership of all urban land. This model has allowed the state to use commercial land development by state-owned enterprises as a powerful tool for economic growth, infrastructure development, and social engineering.


2011 ◽  
pp. 171-185
Author(s):  
Suharto Teriman ◽  
Tan Yigitcanlar ◽  
Severine Mayere

Sustainable development has long been promoted as the best answer to the world’s environmental problems. This term has generated mass appeal as it implies that both the development of the built environment and its associated resource consumption can be achieved without jeopardising the natural environment. In the urban context, sustainability issues have been reflected in the promotion of sustainable urban development, which emphasises the sensible exploitation of scarce natural resources for urbanisation in a manner that allows future generations to repeat the process. This chapter highlights attempts to promote sustainable urban development through an integration of three important considerations: planning, development and the ecosystem. It highlights the fact that spatial planning processes were traditionally driven by economic and social objectives, and rarely involved promoting the sustainability agenda to achieve a sustainable urban future. As a result, rapid urbanisation has created a variety of pressures on the ecosystem upon which we rely. It is believed that the integration of the urban planning and development processes within the limitations of the ecosystem, monitored by a sustainability assessment mechanism, would offer a better approach to maintaining sustainable resource use without compromising urban development.


Sociology ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 53 (3) ◽  
pp. 519-537 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lidia KC Manzo ◽  
Oana Druta ◽  
Richard Ronald

This article analyses practices of intergenerational support for homeownership among different generations of families in Milan, Italy, highlighting the role of housing in family welfare relations and life-course transitions. It makes use of an original dataset of qualitative interviews investigating homeownership pathways and the negotiations of support that they pre-suppose. The article explores the meanings and moral reasoning behind the decision to accept (or not) support in context of contemporary discourses surrounding the liquidity and availability of housing and finance. It highlights the moral compromises and emotional negotiations inherent in the giving and receiving of support for housing, contributing to a body of literature concerned with the reproduction of home and family. Furthermore, it stresses the importance of homes and housing assets in mediating dependence and re-affirming family bonds within a family-oriented welfare context, despite conflict, resistance and frustrated aspirations.


2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽  
Author(s):  
A M G van Tintelen ◽  
S H Bolt ◽  
D E M C Jansen

Abstract Background This study aims to address the lack of information about teenage mothers in different stages of their lives by exploring how they are doing in the long term and the social support they receive. Methods From December 2018 to February 2019 teenage mothers in the Netherlands were recruited by Fiom (an expert centre for unintended pregnancy), via social media and a website for teenage mothers (n = 248). Using an online survey, data were obtained to assess various outcomes, such as well-being, education, work, income, housing and social support. Respondents were divided into three groups: 0-3 years after teenage childbearing (short-term), 4-12 years (medium-term), >12 years (long-term). Results were analysed using univariate and bivariate descriptions in SPSS. Results Almost 80% of the respondents reported that they were doing well and were satisfied with their life. 63.3% had a job, and 17.0% was enrolled in education. Short-term mothers worked fewer hours per week compared to long-term mothers (p < 0.001). 85.1% of the respondents reported that they received benefits, short-term mothers receiving more benefits than long-term mothers (p < 0.001). The majority (78.2%) was satisfied with their living conditions; short-term mothers were less satisfied than long-term mothers (p = 0.031). 36.3% of the respondents smoked cigarettes. Most support was given by family (83.1%), mainly from female relatives. About 24% of the respondents received formal support. Conclusions This study shows that teenage mothers, on average, were doing well and were satisfied with their life, in both the short and long term. Regarding income and housing, short-term mothers were in a less favourable position. These results suggest that as the years pass, teenage mothers overcome difficulties. Since the association between well-being and social support on the long term is unknown, we advise investigating the effect of social support on the outcomes of teenage childbearing. Key messages Both in the short-term and the long-term, most teenage mothers were doing well and satisfied with life. Regarding housing and income, short-term mothers function less well compared to long-term mothers.


2017 ◽  
Vol 45 (4) ◽  
pp. 393-406 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren M. Bouchard ◽  
Margaret M. Nauta

This study examined the role of work volition in the relation between college students’ health and several short-term career outcome variables. The responses of 393 students to an online survey revealed that the number of the last 30 days that were deemed unhealthy was significantly related to work volition, and work volition was associated with major satisfaction, leadership aspirations, educational persistence intentions, and real versus ideal career aspiration discrepancy. Path analysis results were consistent with a model specifying work volition as a mediator of the associations between unhealthy days and the career variables. It therefore appears lower work volition may be a risk factor for students with health-related challenges. When conducting career assessment and counseling, career counselors and other providers should consider the perceived career-choice constraints that college students with chronic illnesses and general symptomatology perceive. Limitations and future research directions are discussed.


2019 ◽  

This article specifies and estimates a multinomial logit model (MNL) to explain the purpose of renting a vehicle for short-term use. The model, which predicts the probability of renting a vehicle for business, leisure, temporary replacement, or other purposes, is estimated using a random sample of approximately 1,000 individuals from 10 Canadian provinces. The records used in the analysis were collected in 2016 via an online survey. The findings suggest that the purpose for renting could be predicted through factors associated with the sociodemographic characteristics of the renters and their rental plans, as well as attributes associated with the rented vehicle.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Venkat Guduru Rao ◽  
Vishwanath Gella ◽  
Madhuri Radhakrishnan ◽  
Jagadeesh V Kumar ◽  
Robin Chatterjee ◽  
...  

Background: Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) can have a myriad of symptoms. However, it is now known that most patients recovered from COVID-19 have symptoms related to COVID-19. There is a paucity of literature on post-COVID-19 symptoms from India. Hence we aimed to assess the incidence of post-COVID-19 symptoms in patients recovered from COVID-19. Methods: An online Microsoft forms survey was conducted through multiple social media platforms. Results: Of the 5,347 individuals who received and clicked the link, a total of 2038 infected patients responded (Supplementary figure). Approximately 48% (967/2038) had recovered from COVID-19 within 1-3 months (short-term recovered), 34.2% (375/2038) had recovered from COVID-19 >3 months ago (long recovered), and 18.4% (375) were recovered within the last one month (recently recovered). Nearly 38% (770/2038) had a history of hospitalization for COVID-19. Of them, 34.28% (264/770) required oxygen therapy during the hospital stay. Most patients were discharged within 5-10 days of hospital stay (54%, 415/770). Only 5.58% (43/770) required a stay of more than 20 days. Seventy-five percent (575/770) of the hospitalized patients received steroid therapy. Of those who received steroid therapy, 56.5% (325/575) had not required oxygen therapy. Forty percent (233/575) of patients received steroid therapy for two weeks, 24% (138/575) for one week, 33.73% received steroids only during the hospital stay, and 1.73% were still on steroid therapy during the survey. Most importantly, of the 2038 respondents, 41.8% (851/2038) still had persistent symptoms related to COVID-19. Most common symptom was fatigue (64.15%), followed by body pain (31%) and gastrointestinal symptoms (25%) (Figure). Six percent (49/851) of them required hospitalization for post-COVID-19 symptoms. Forty-six percent (449/967) in the short term recovered group (1-3 months), 40.1% (279/696) in the long-recovered group, and 32.8% (123/375) in the recently recovered group had persistent symptoms related to COVID-19 (P=0.001). Forty-eight percent (374/770) of the hospitalized patients developed post-COVID-19 symptoms, while only 37.6% (477/1268) developed post-COVID-19 symptoms among the non-hospitalized patients (P<0.001). Fifty-three percent (303/575) of those who received steroids developed post-COVID-19 symptoms, while only 36.41% (71/195) of those who did not receive steroids developed post-COVID-19 symptoms (P<0.001). 49% (159/325) of patients who received steroids despite being not requiring oxygen developed post-COVID-19 symptoms compared to only 37.5% (543/1449) who did not receive steroids and were not on oxygen therapy (P<0.001). Nearly 40% (336/851) of respondents felt that post-COVID-19 symptoms are not being appropriately treated or taken care of seriously. Conclusions: Post-COVID-19 symptoms are common in patients who recovered from COVID-19. These symptoms are more often noted in patients who received steroid therapy. Post-COVID-19 symptomatology is present in a significant number of patients and requires to be addressed seriously.


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