Housing Policy in Slovenia – A Political Decision or Coincidence?

2013 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 583-600
Author(s):  
Špelca Mežnar ◽  
Tamara Petrović

After Slovenia gained its independence and the privatization of the public housing stock took place, housing policy was considerably transformed. According to 1991 Constitution, the responsibility of the state has been only to provide appropriate conditions for citizens to settle housing situation. Although a number of housing policy documents were adopted by the Parliament, many of them did not take into account the genuine needs and situation in the country. Due to the austerity measures adopted by the Government, many social benefits have been restricted or cancelled, which in turn leads to a gradual decline in the level of welfare.

Author(s):  
Peter Baldwin

Europeans Often Regard America as a country of bigness: big people, big cars, big houses. People we have already touched on; cars will come. American housing standards do fall in the upper half—but still well within— the European scale. Two rooms per inhabitant is the U.S. average. Residents of Luxembourg, the Netherlands, the UK, and Belgium have more (figure 88) The Irish have a higher percentage of their households occupying at least five rooms, the English and Spanish are very close runners-up. For social or public housing, transatlantic discrepancies pale before even more impressive disparities within Europe itself. Approximately a fifth of all accommodation in England and France is public housing, but those are by far the highest figures in Europe. In Italy, it is only 7%. In Spain, the fraction of the public housing stock of all dwellings is even less than in the United States, namely 1%. According to figures from the OECD, social housing scarcely exists at all in Portugal, at least to judge from the sums the government spends on it. Sweden, a country with a somewhat smaller population, spends well over 500 times as much. In any case, the range of state spending on housing in those nations with figures high enough to register as a fraction of GDP varies from 0.1% in Austria and Luxembourg to 14 times that in the UK. It is hard to call a penchant for social housing a defining European characteristic. Moreover, despite the absence of much public housing in the United States, the poorest fifth of tenants in America pay less of their income for housing than their peers in Sweden or Switzerland, and only a bit more than in the UK. America is oft en considered a stingy helper of Third World nations in distress. It is true that American foreign aid, in the form of direct cash grants, is not impressive if measured per capita. Nor is that of Austria or the Mediterranean nations, except France, which are all lower (figure 89).


Author(s):  
Lidia Errante ◽  
Alberto De Capua

This contribution presents the meta-design research scenario of the sustainable building redevelopment of the INA Casa “Sbarre Inferiori” district in Reggio Calabria based on a twofold reflection. On the one hand, the transformative potential, both technological and formal, of the public housing stock created under the INA Casa Plan. On the other, the extension of the life cycle of the buildings and the improvement of the spatial quality of the housing according to a circular, low-tech and ecological approach. The result is an abacus of technological additions in bio-xlam conceived according to the principles of Design for Disassembly, which allows the reuse of the modules in new spatial and functional configurations, and the remanufacturing and recycling of the elements at the end of their life.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 91-103 ◽  
Author(s):  
Agnieszka Ogrodowczyk ◽  
Szymon Marcińczak

Housing inequality is one of the central topics in urban studies, and in the social sciences more broadly. It is also one of the most significant and visible aspects of socioeconomic inequality. Over the last three decades, the process of housing commodification has accelerated across western societies and, consequently, the public housing sector has contracted and become more closely associated with the poorest sections of societies in many cities. Over the same period, the political changes in Central and Eastern Europe have contributed to the dismantling and monetizing of state housing sectors at the forefront of broader social and economic transformations. Unfortunately, most recent studies on housing commodification and inequalities in Europe are confined to the national scale. The aim of this article is to detail the linkages between the position and functioning of public housing in Lodz (Poland) and the evolving socioeconomic profile of individuals and households that rely on public housing. This study relies on microdata (statistical information on individuals and households) from two national Polish censuses (1978 and 2002) and from household budget surveys (2003–2013). The main finding of our study is that ‘residualization’ is present in the public housing stock in Lodz and that the process gained momentum in the first decade of the 2000s.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Nadrah Ibrahim

<p>Public housing in Kuala Lumpur was introduced by the government as a means of replacing informal settlements and providing housing for the lower income. Government subsidies often cover some of the costs of public housing to help keep it affordable and at the lower end of house prices. To help meet the low cost agenda, public house designs are often kept to a minimal standard in Malaysia, removing low income Malay dwellers from their ideal image of home. In the long run, signs of neglect in the public houses are reflected in the lack of care and maintenance from dwellers, vandalism and more.   This thesis proposes that good, homely architectural design practices suited to the dweller can help encourage emotional ties between dwellers (low income families) and the dwelling (public houses). Its aim is to investigate potential architectural design approaches to tackle such problems in future Kuala Lumpur public houses.  This raises the question of which homely architectural design strategies might be best utilised in the Kuala Lumpur public housing environment. The thesis begins by exploring the meaning of home in relation to both dwellers and dwelling before then identifying ‘homely’ architectural design practices suited to the Malay community. In the context of public houses, this research investigation identifies privacy, environmental comfort, security and safety as homely aspects that are most often lacking in public housing design, contributing to a less homely environment. To enhance the homely attributes of public houses, the thesis proposes ways to restore homely qualities of spaces in the public house, drawing from these three aspects in order to arrive at design opportunities best suited to the lifestyle of its dwellers.</p>


2020 ◽  
Vol 47 (6) ◽  
pp. 825-835
Author(s):  
Lara Rangiwhetu ◽  
Nevil Pierse ◽  
Elinor Chisholm ◽  
Philippa Howden-Chapman

Background A robust evidence base is needed to develop sustainable cross-party solutions for public housing to promote well-being. The provision of public housing is politically contentious in New Zealand, as in many liberal democracies. Depending on the government, policies oscillate between encouraging sales of public housing stock and reducing investment and maintenance, and large-scale investment, provision, and regeneration of public housing. Aim We aimed to develop frameworks to evaluate the impact of public housing regeneration on tenant well-being at the apartment, complex, and community levels, and to inform future policies. Method Based on a systems approach and theory of change models, we developed a mixed methods quasi-experimental before-and-after outcomes evaluation frameworks, with control groups, for three public housing sites. This evaluation design had flexibility to accommodate real-world complexities, inherent in evaluating large-scale public health interventions, while maintaining scientific rigor to realize the full effects of interventions. Results Three evaluation frameworks for housing were developed. The evaluation at the apartment level confirmed proof of concept and viability of the framework and approach. This also showed that minor draught-stopping measures had a relatively big impact on indoor temperature and thermal comfort, which subsequently informed healthy housing standards. The complex and community-level evaluations are ongoing due to longer regeneration timeframes. Conclusion Public housing is one of central government’s larger social sector interventions, with Kāinga Ora – Homes and Communities the largest Crown entity. Evaluating public housing policies is important to develop an evidence base to inform best practice, rational, decision-making policy for the public as well as the private sector.


Subject The outlook for constitutional reform and presidential re-election. Significance Since the government announced its intention to revise the constitution to allow President Rafael Correa to seek re-election in 2017, the opposition has resisted the move. Various parties and coalitions have attempted to call a referendum on the issue using mechanisms in the 2008 constitution to enable greater public participation in political decision-making. The government has used its influence over public institutions to block a referendum, fearing defeat at the polls. The outcome of the conflict remains unclear six months on from when the proposal was first announced. Impacts The fragmentation of the opposition will bolster government attempts to rebuff demands for a referendum. Denying the public the opportunity to vote on constitutional reform will undermine the legitimacy of the president and government. The economic fallout from low oil prices will complicate the government's political situation and allow for opposition gains.


1965 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 543-565 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marc Nerfin

In most African countries, the housing situation is most unsatisfactory, both in quality and quantity. The underlying factors are both demographic (population growth, rapid urbanisation) and economic (the under-development of productive resources). Although the poverty of housing is only one facet of the ‘pauperisation’ of the African masses, and although new needs arise directly from the process of development itself, yet the only possible framework for any modern housing policy is planning—economic, social, and spatial—in which the role of the public authorities is decisive both in the preparation and the implementation of the plan. Housing then becomes one element in the total modernisation of society.


2017 ◽  
pp. 109-121
Author(s):  
Antenora Maria Da Mata Siqueira ◽  
Juliana Nazareno Mendes ◽  
Alex José Lemos Filho

RESUMOOs desastres relacionados às águas, ocorridos no Brasil, aprofundaram e ampliaram as pesquisas sobre tais fenômenos. Este artigo analisa os conflitos decorrentes da resposta do governo da cidade de Campos dos Goytacazes/RJ às consequências dos desastres: o programa de habitação popular “Morar Feliz”. Realizaram-se levantamentos bibliográficos, coleta de dados em órgãos públicos e entrevistas com moradores reassentados. Os resultados indicam a existência de conflito de interesses que opõem os moradores que reivindicam ficar no bairro em que residem, ou próximo a ele, e o governo municipal, que promove a expansão urbana em áreas com insuficiência de infraestrutura urbana.Palavras-Chave: desastres ambientais, habitação popular, risco.RESUMENLos desastres relacionados con el agua que ocurrieron en Brasil profundizaron y ampliaron las investigaciones sobre estos fenómenos. En este artículo se analizan los conflictos que surgen como resultado de la respuesta del gobierno de la ciudad de Campos dos Goytacazes / RJ frente a las consecuencias de los desastres: el programa de vivienda pública "Morar Feliz". La investigación se basó en la literatura sobre el tema, en recolección de datos en los organismos públicos y en entrevistas con residentes reasentados. Los resultados indican la existencia de conflictos de intereses que oponen a los residentes que pretenden permanecer en el distrito en el que residen, o al menos cerca; al gobierno municipal, que promueve la expansión urbana en las zonas con insuficiencia de infraestructura urbana.Palabras Clave: Desastres ambientales, viviendas públicas, riesgo.ABSTRACTWater-related disasters occurred in Brazil deepened and expanded researches on such phenomena. This article analyzes the conflicts arising from the response of the government of the city of Campos dos Goytacazes / RJ concerning the consequences of these disasters: the public housing program "Morar Feliz". There were conducted bibliographic researches, data collection in public entities and interviews with residents resettled. The results indicate the existence of conflict of interests that opposes residents who claim to stay in the district in which they reside, or close to it; and the municipal government, which promotes urban sprawl in areas with lack of urban infrastructure.Keywords: Environmental disasters, public housing, risk.


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