Sarah Ahmad
University of Massachusetts, USA

“House be like a workshop” | the radical practice of care in June Jordan’s projects on inhabitation |

My paper counters the dominant ways urban housing emerges as modernity’s primary (and aspirational) technology through a focus on the emergent architectural-literary projects of Jamaican-American writer June Jordan. I argue that Jordan’s projects, specifically her architectural project in collaboration with R. Buckminster Fuller, “Skyrise for Harlem” (1965) and her novel His Own Where (1971), respond to the state of urban housing of the period by crafting the house as a necessarily infrastructural, social, and intimate space constituted by objects and relations that move through it, and theorizing ownership or home as a relationship of maintaining care towards a house (instead of house as property).
I place Jordan’s work amongst a larger move in literature in the mid-twentieth century that seeks to envision forms of habitation and housing in a crisis-laden world, where neoliberalism’s collusions with imperialism simultaneously coalesce around a) overlapping home as attainable only through home ownership or property, and b) consequently using this commodification of the house as a way to ensure a system that ensures racial inequity persists (Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor). Both the novel and the architectural project (a public housing project for the predominantly Black residents of the neighbourhood that was described by Jordan and Fuller as “a collaborative architectural redesign of Harlem”) are set in Jordan’s hometown, New York, and respond to infrastructural inequities and violences that threaten or render precarious home for its Black residents. The novel is set in the neighbourhood of her childhood, Bedford-Stuyvesant, and follows fifteen-year-old Buddy who fashions a home – a “his own where” – in a deserted cemetery toolshed with his girlfriend, Angela, when their usual homes become untenable due to parental abuse or absence, lack of resources, and hostile social institutions and bureaucracies. My project argues that the house in literature is an architecturally-alive response to the historical housing crisis framed alongside both urbanization as a realized site of imperial modernity and coloniality’s relationship to capitalism. Through this proposition of inhabitation as a practice of care, I read June Jordan as responding to key ongoing discussions and struggles on the urban crisis of the modern period, such as the Habitat conferences, Henri Lefebvre’s right to the city, social reproduction and feminist care, amongst others.

Aditya Ajith
IPE Global Pvt. Ltd., India 

“From Slums to Towers: The Evolution of Social Housing in Delhi from 1947 to 2024”

This paper explores the complex and evolving landscape of social housing in Delhi. It examines the historical and contemporary challenges, policies, and strategies related to providing social housing for the city’s growing population. This paper is grounded in theories of spatial justice, urban political economy, and the right to the city, drawing from scholars like Henri Lefebvre, David Harvey, and Edward Soja. It utilizes these frameworks to analyze how socio-political and economic forces have shaped social housing in Delhi. By integrating these theoretical perspectives, the paper provides a nuanced understanding of social housing evolution and its implications for equitable urban development. The study spans from the immediate post-independence era to the present, reflecting on how social housing initiatives have adapted to shifting political, economic, and social contexts. The evolution of social housing in Delhi reflects a complex interplay of socio-political dynamicsand shifting urban planning priorities across seven key phases. From 1947 to 1962, the focus was on rehabilitating post-independence refugee migrants and improving slum areas, with significant land allocated for these purposes. The period from 1962 to 1974 saw the implementation of the first master plan, leading to large-scale land acquisitions and slum clearance schemes, resulting in the development of 18 new colonies. During the Emergency period (1975-1977), aggressive slum clearance policies led to the creation of 16 new colonies. The subsequent phase (1977-1990) involved consolidating resettlement colonies, with nine new colonies established. The liberalization era (1990-2007) introduced privatization and a three-pronged slum rehabilitation strategy, evolving JJR colonies into Slum Rehabilitation Schemes (SRS). The period from 2007 to 2020 focused on large-scale construction projects for slum rehabilitation, including the first in-situ rehabilitation projects and the introduction of EWS housing provisions under the MPD 2021. The current phase (2020-present) emphasizes in-situ slum rehabilitation, with ongoing projects by both central and state governments. This chronological analysis highlights the shifts in housing strategies from large-scale resettlements to in-situ rehabilitation projects. The study employs GIS to map the development of social housing, revealing key patterns in Delhi’s expansion. Initially, from 1947 to 1990, social housing projects were concentrated on the city’s periphery. As land scarcity increased, development pushed further outward, disrupting social ties. Recent trends from 2020 to the present show a return to in-situ rehabilitation, aiming to improve existing slum areas within city limits. The paper also discusses the inefficiencies and inconsistencies in the implementation of master plans, contributing to delays and backlogs in housing delivery. This issue is compounded by political contestations and governance complexities, which has shaped the development of resettlement colonies and implementation of social housing projects in Delhi. The study also addresses the impact of privatization and non-participatory processes on social housing. The privatization model has led to public-private partnerships with mixed results, and nonparticipatory approaches have resulted in solutions that do not fully meet residents’ needs. Additionally, exclusionary eligibility criteria have left many without adequate support.
In conclusion, this paper provides a comprehensive analysis of Delhi’s social housing evolution, linking theoretical frameworks with practical policy issues. It underscores the
importance of addressing spatial justice and power dynamics while advocating for innovative solutions to meet the city’s housing needs. The findings offer valuable insights for policymakers, researchers, and practitioners working to create a more inclusive and equitable urban environment.

Arkadipta Banerjee
CEPT University, India

“Transformative Urbanism: A Study of Socio-Spatial Dynamics in Calcutta’s Suburban Housing Developments”
This study investigates the socio-spatial dynamics of suburban housing developments in Kolkata, examining the historical and present-day changes that have influenced these areas. It explores the consequences of urban planning in the colonial era and the subsequent transformations of these spaces due to the partition of India and globalization. Through an analysis of the socio-economic profiles and the availability of local amenities within these suburbs, the study evaluates the level of social segregation and isolation in the form of experienced segregation among different economic groups.
Understanding the historical background is essential for comprehending the evolution of Kolkata’s suburbs, where colonial strategies led to the establishment of the Calcutta Improvement Trust (CIT) in 1911. This organization played a crucial restructuring Kolkata, promoting suburban growth by both capital accumulation in the inner-city area and welfare driven housing schemes in the suburbs. The initiatives undertaken by the CIT, such as land procurement and the provision of public services, set the foundation for the socio-economic diversity observed in these suburbs. The initial phase of suburban expansion, characterized by the development of areas like Rashbehari Avenue, witnessed the rise of an affluent middle-class neighbourhood alongside slum settlements accommodating marginalised communities. This distinct urbanization pattern deviated from models of the global north by integrating varied social classes in close proximity.
The study also scrutinizes the subsequent phase of suburban expansion in the eastern regions of the city, driven by industrial expansion and the arrival of refugees following Partition of India. Government endeavours to offer housing through social policies like the Bustee Rehabilitation Scheme (BRS) and Subsidized Industrial Housing (SIH) demonstrated a commitment to inclusive urban growth. Nevertheless, the research identifies an intricate interplay between planned housing developments and informal settlements, reflecting the socio-economic diversity of the populace.
Employing qualitative approaches such as semi-structured interviews and oral histories, the study captures the firsthand experiences of the inhabitants, unveiling a nuanced perspective on social integration. Despite the physical closeness of different economic groups, the investigation further reveals that instances of experienced segregation and isolation, influenced by access to amenities and public spaces within 5 to 10 minutes walking distance. The analysis emphasizes the importance of spatial planning and policies in moulding urban disparities.

Elton Chan
Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden

“Utopia of the past: Social production of public housing estates in Hong Kong”
This paper seeks to examine the social history and development of Kwun Tong Garden Estate, the first public housing estate in one of the first industrial new town of Hong Kong. Built in the 1950s, Kwun Tong Garden Estate was planned and designed to meet various functional needs and played an important role in the development of Kwun Tong as an industrial new town. In addition to being public rental housing, many units in Kwun Tong Garden Estate also functioned as dedicated living quarters for factory workers. The integration of various public spaces, commercial outlets, as well as other services and amenities such as schools and community centres within the housing estate, is also indicative of the utopian vision of machine for living that is not too dissimilar to those envisioned by modernist planners and architects such as Le Corbusier. As one of the city’s earlier public housing estates and the largest subsidised rental housing developed by Housing Society, Kwun Tong Garden Estate served as an important benchmark and blueprint for the subsequent development of public housing in Hong Kong. However, despite its utopian and forward-thinking nature, much of the early public housing stock in Hong Kong has slowly become obsolete. While the first phase of Kwun Tong Garden Estate was demolished and redeveloped in the 1980s, the second phase has also recently been slated for redevelopment.
It is against this backdrop that this paper aims to explore how the design and planning of the Kwun Tong Garden Estate has shaped the social organisation and lived experience of its residents and to identify any relevant lessons for future public housing developments. In addition to tracing the historical development of Kwun Tong Garden Estate, the paper is also interested in uncovering the socio-spatial transformations that had characterised the housing estate since its conception. The centre of focus thus lies not only on the planning and design of the public housing estates, but also on the social organisation that exists within and how social interactions and relations are maintained despite the various challenges faced by the residents over the years. Using an historical approach to ethnography of space, data collection methods include reviews of documents and drawings, as well as interviews with residents and other key actors. This paper contends that in addition to the innovative building design and experimental tenure type of Kwun Tong Garden Estate, the semi-formal and informal social networks and organisations are a fundamental part of the social production of Kwun Tong Garden Estate. More than anything else, the survival and future of Kwun Tong Garden Estate was always tied to the people in it.

Randolph Anthony Hunte
Ministry of Housing of Guyana

“To meet the growing demand for affordable housing in a gentrified environment”
Guyana as a developing country has always been plagued with inadequate housing since gaining Independence on the 26Th of May, 1966. From that period to now, though strides have been made over the years, the housing situation remains exponentially high with demands reaching approximately seventy thousand (70,000) registered applicants as of the year 2024. The issue mentioned before is predominantly worsening with the now present oil and gas development leading to an influx of foreign investors, and at the same time with the Government rolling out massive infrastructure developmental projects that have higher incentives when compared to the housing development agenda. To be specific, the current labour, materials, and equipment resources prices are more tailored to the more profitable projects.  At the same time, the government still has the responsibility of providing affordable housing, while harmonizing and adapting to the current challenges of its rapidly growing economy by ensuring the products and services provided can easily be accessible to its citizens.

To curb the current issue, the government continues to provide land and houses at a subsidized cost. One such initiative was through the use of the Inter-American Development Bank reformulation of the Road Network, Upgrade, and Expansion Program for the Sherriff – Mandela Road to include a housing component theme the Adequate Housing and Urban Accessibility Program. This programme aims to improve the quality of life in urban and peri-urban Georgetown through better access to adequate housing and basic infrastructure for income populations and improved accessibility and mobility services. Under Component 1.1 of this programme, persons who owned lands and could not afford to build a house, once evaluated and satisfied the criteria outlined by the stakeholders, the beneficiary received a completed 6.1m x 6.1m finished home. Additionally, under the same component 1.1 programme, persons who owned a home but it was in an unacceptable or deplorable state (built of cardboard, plastic, or waste material, etc.) and not afford to change their situation, once evaluated and satisfied with the criteria outlined by the stakeholders, the beneficiary received building materials to upgrade their home such as stone, sand, cement, steel reinforcement, wood, etc.
Furthermore, the government would have lowered the interest rates on mortgages and increased the low-income mortgage loan ceiling to allow for greater accessibility for persons applying. Also, provides mortgage interest relief through the Guyana Revenue Authority, and at the same time gives access to building material grants for first-time home builders. These are just a few of the initiatives the government would have implemented to stymie the challenges being faced.
As the country continues to transform under its vastly growing economy, we can only endeavor to find new ways to solve unknown challenges that lie ahead.
The opportunity presented by the Vienna International Summer School on New Social Housing will allow for a proactive approach to dealing with such ever-emerging housing development challenges.

Masha Hupalo
Southern California Institute of Architecture, USA
“Community Land Trusts and Single-Family Homes in California”

Danielle Hynes
Maynooth University, Ireland

“The legitimisation of the neoliberal imaginary and implications for more just housing futures”
The neoliberal imaginary is deeply entrenched and widely legitimised in many liberal democracies. This undermines the possibility of imagining and enacting more just ways of organising society. In this article, we unpack precisely how the neoliberal imaginary normalises the restructuring of the welfare state in one particular context: representations of, and discourses surrounding, both social housing as an institution and social housing residents in Australia. We examine spaces where the neoliberal imaginary is shared by actors of different positions in the political-economic hierarchy, as well as the limited spaces in which it is contested.
This paper is informed by the doctoral research of the first author (Danielle Hynes), who took a mixed methods approach involving three elements: a media analysis, policy document analysis, and empirical fieldwork that includes semi-structured in-depth interviews and participant observation, all centred on the site of Canterbury-Bankstown, NSW, Australia. These methods facilitated the analysis the imaginaries surrounding social housing in Australia as expressed by various actors across the socioeconomic hierarchy, who wield various levels of social and political power. A multimodal discourse analysis approach, guided by a theoretical framework that draws on imaginaries and social justice, was used as the underlying analytical frame throughout.
We focus on two aspects of the neoliberal restructuring of social housing in Australia, which amounts to a retreat from the direct provision of housing by Australian governments. We first outline the discursive underpinning of the neoliberal restructuring of social housing in Australia, namely the widespread perception that social housing is an inherently ‘broken system’ (Jacobs, Berry & Dalton 2013) and an inherently scarce resource (Clarke et al. 2022), and the foregrounding of the economic dimensions of social housing when it is discussed positively. We then turn to the implications of the neoliberal restructuring of social housing in Australia, focusing in particular on the growing shift to delivering housing through the non-government sector.
The neoliberal imaginary is deeply embedded in Australia. Portraying social housing as an inherent failure and foregrounding economic aspects of this tenure type are symptomatic of the neoliberal imaginary. We argue that if the neoliberal imaginary of the city continues to remain the most deeply entrenched and widely legitimised, then social housing, one of the key mechanisms for delivering, safe, stable and affordable housing in Australia, will continue
to be neglected. It is necessary to radically reshape imaginaries of housing to enact more just housing futures.

Josefina Jaureguiberry-Mondion
University of Oxford, UK
“Imperfect Affective Infrastructures: The Politics of Inconvenience and Solidarity in Radical Housing Projects”

Anamaria Klasić
University of Zagreb, Croatia

“The past, present and future of socialist large housing estates in Zagreb compared to post-socialist estates”
Socialist housing estates in Croatia, constructed post-WWII during the former Yugoslavia (1945-1990), were built as large housing estates (LHEs) following CIAM principles. These estates, consisting of high-rise residential buildings, aimed to address post-war urbanization and industrialization by providing compact, mixed-use residential environments with all amenities for various social classes. This paper examines their socio-political origins, evolution, current living conditions, and future viability as quality residential areas in Croatia’s capital, Zagreb. After facing serious criticism from scholars in the period following their construction, contemporary research indicates higher residential satisfaction in Central and Eastern European LHEs compared to those in Western Europe, maintaining a stable residential status in post-socialist cities. However, today many of these estates are up to 70 years old and suffer from neglect and maintenance issues. Since Croatia’s independence in the 1990s, the socialist public housing stock has been privatized and market-driven development has led to reduced housing and environmental standards visible in inadequate public infrastructure in new housing estates and locations. These conditions affect the quality of life in both new and old residential areas. In comparison with post-socialist estates, this paper discusses potential renewal strategies to enhance future living conditions in the older estates. The research question is: What is the quality of life in socialist housing estates (built 1945-1990) compared to post-socialist housing estates (built after 1990) in Zagreb?
Our mixed-methods approach includes results from a survey (conducted in 2022, N=661), focus groups (N groups=6, N residents=44) and walk-along interviews with residents of Zagreb’s housing estates (N=7) (conducted 2022-2024), as well as photos collected during field observations. The focus is on assessing residential satisfaction, available public facilities, and social aspects such as cohesion and neighbourhood attachment.
The results show that the social composition in both types of estates includes a predominance of middle-class residents and without pronounced social differences, but the population of the socialist estates is significantly older. In line with results from other post-socialist countries, the residential satisfaction is high, so the majority of residents want to continue living there. Not surprisingly, a comparison of satisfaction at the building level goes in favour of the new estates, while at the estate level the results go in favour of the old estates. The buildings in the socialist estates have more problems related to internal and external appearance, and an important topic in the qualitative research were the difficulties with maintenance of high-rise multi-family buildings. The residents expressed their concerns regarding the general difficulty of coming to an agreement in the residents’ meetings and finding a candidate for the role of the residents’ representative. At the estate level, one of the advantages of socialist housing estates is their infrastructure and availability of services, especially large green public spaces. The public spaces in the old estates, although considered safe, are not properly managed, so problems arise concerning cleanliness. The neighbourly relations are perceived as good and there is a strong sense of place attachment in the old estates, but both old and new estates face low participation in activities aimed at improving the quality of life in the neighbourhood.
Unlike in Western Europe, there is still no threat of segregation or ghettoization of the large post-war housing estates. On the contrary, with certain regeneration efforts that should focus on renewal of the buildings, upkeep of public spaces, and attracting younger residents, socialist large housing estates in Zagreb could offer its residents a satisfying quality of life also in the future.

Anna Marocco
Sapienza University of Rome, Italy & IGOT University of Lisbon, Portugal

“Queer Utopias: Home-making practices between Rome and Lisbon through participatory artbased research”
In the context of an ongoing doctoral research project, this paper explores the concept of queer utopias through the lens of home-making practices in the urban contexts of Rome and Lisbon. The concept of queer utopias has gained significant attention in the last few decades as a way to envision and strive for environments that are not only free from discrimination but also actively embrace and celebrate desires, diverse sexual orientations and gender identities. By examining the lived experiences, domestic practices, and aspirations of LGBTQ+ individuals in Rome and Lisbon, this research intends to shed light on how these communities cultivate supportive and empowering living spaces within the constraints of societal norms and urban landscapes. Queer utopias represent idealized visions of spaces where LGBTQ+ individuals can live free from oppression and marginalization. This study investigates how such utopian aspirations are attempted to be materialized in the everyday home-making practices of queer communities in Rome and Lisbon. The choice of these two southern
European cities as the focal points of this study is deliberate, as both share a common historic catholic cultural background and a vibrant contemporary culture, providing nuanced contexts to explore the intersection of queerness, domesticity, and urban processes. By delving into the local dynamics of each city, this research seeks to unravel the unique challenges and opportunities encountered by queer individuals as they navigate the process of creating homes that authentically reflect their identities and
aspirations. Indeed, by examining home-making practices, this study leverages the contrasting
cultural, urban, legal, and social contexts of these cities to provide a comprehensive understanding of queer experiences. The juxtaposition of these cities allows for a rich comparative analysis, shedding light on the diverse strategies and challenges queer individuals face in creating spaces of belonging
and identity, contributing to a broader understanding of queer utopias in varying urban landscapes.
Participatory art-based research offers an invaluable framework for engaging with queer communities and delving into the complexities of home-making practices. By actively involving LGBTQ+ individuals in the creative and affective exploration of their domestic spaces, this study endeavours to capture the multifaceted ways art serves as a self-representation, empowerment, and community-building tool. Through collaborative mapping projects, storytelling, and visual ethnography, the aim is to illuminate the often-overlooked creative endeavours and resilience embedded within queer households and living environments. Utilizing participatory research methods, it examines how LGBTQ+ communities navigate, resist, and transform their lived environments into spaces of belonging and identity. By juxtaposing the experiences of queer individuals in these two cities, this study aims to shed light on the diverse strategies employed to create and maintain queer utopias within urban landscapes. The research delves into the significance of place attachment, collective memory, and creative expression in forming queer-affirming spaces, offering insights into the intersections of art, activism, and urban geography. The findings will contribute to ongoing discussions on spatial justice, social inclusion, and the politics of representation, emphasizing the agency of LGBTQ+ communities in envisioning and materializing alternative futures. The research, at large, seeks to amplify the voices and experiences of those often marginalized within mainstream discourses, advocating for more inclusive and equitable urban environments for all. The research’s ultimate objective is to underscore the vital importance and potential impact of integrating queer perspectives into urban planning and housing policies by proposing practical strategies for policymakers and planners to advance transformative and inclusive urbanism. By bridging the gap in the planning field and promoting the development of queer spaces, it aims to spark the ongoing
discussion on queer urbanism and further research in this area.

Ute Reuschenberg
TU Dortmund, Germany

“Experiment Wertherberg 1965-68. An unusual social housing estate in the Westphalian province and strategies for its appropriation”
The “Wertherberg housing development” by Atelier 5, realised in 1965-68 after winning a
competition, is direct successor to the famous Halen development by the renowned Swiss
architectural office. While this achieved worldwide fame as a new form of urban, densely populated communal living, the example of post-war modernism located in East Westphalia has fallen into oblivion.
Unlike the Swiss model, which was completed in 1961, the Wertherberg housing estate was built
using social housing funds. This not only led to a difficult planning and construction process due to the spatial distance from Switzerland, but also to surprising strategies of appropriation by the
residents.
A research project planned at TU Dortmund University (Chair of History and Theory of Architecture) aims to bring the history of this experimental social housing estate, which was ahead of its time, back to light and – with a view to the current need for new solutions – make it fruitful for the current discourse.

Caterina Sartori
Goldsmiths University of London, UK 

“The creation of the “Futures of the Aylesbury Estate” counter-report”

This paper presents an analysis of the creation of the counter-report “The futures of the Aylesbury Estate”, which is being written by a group of housing campaigners and
residents of a social housing scheme in inner London, in response to the local authority’s report of the same title. Both reports represent a significant moment in the history of the housing estate, its regeneration/demolition, and the housing campaigners’ struggles; in particular the counter report marks a shift towards ecological arguments against regeneration/demolition on the part of the resident campaigners, and a centring of futureoriented imaginings. This paper focuses on the ways in which the residents, in creating the report, are imagining the future of their estate in relation to its history as a utopian, modernist mass housing project. Hovering between utopian vision and pragmatism, the report is informed by the lived experience of everyday life in the buildings and architectural spaces, their managed decline and the climate of austerity and financialization that is shaping their present condition. At the time of writing, the counter-report has not been finalised and distributed yet, so this paper is an interim reflection on an ongoing process, rather than a concluded and conclusive piece of research.

Arianna Scaioli
Politecnico di Milano, Italy

“Gender Equality and Design Form. Expanded living for a morphological reflection”
The research builds a theoretical and design reflection within the broader context of social, gender and spatial inequalities which are rising in both urban and rural contexts due to overlapping ecological, economic and political crises. Specifically, the thesis recognizes the existence of a crisis of care which couples the environmental one, becoming a catalyst for gender discrimination by exacerbating existing disparities in caregiving responsibilities, perpetuating gendered norms, and reinforcing structural inequalities within cities, which emerge by, in and through design. Starting from the definition of a theoretical framework, supported by the collection and analysis of a series of case studies between Europe and America, the thesis considers gender inequalities as a design challenge that architecture has to be confronted with.
What does gender inequality do to Architecture? And vice versa: What can architecture do to reverse gender inequalities? This ultimately leads to a reflection on how does the notion of gender informs the morphology of the built environment, and which tools, processes and methods could help us define a methodological approach to design for care and gender equality. In this sense, the research proposes a reflection on the design of collective forms of living conceived as catalysers of caring and democratic practices, able to foster gender equality by, in and through design. These forms of inhabiting the intermediate scale could foster gender equality, through a “sguardo progettante” that builds on the idea of “inhabiting the intervals” (Bassanini), and as places to build alliences between bodies and space starting from the “microphysics of the everyday” (Bassanini, 2008). These forms of collective living go beyond the traditional notion of “housing” permeating space between building and context around with new forms of domesticity, caring and equality, with the intention of “making common space”. But can these spaces generate more equitable forms of living? How should they be designed? Which is their character?
The outcome, a Boite à Outils, becomes a methodological tool organized under the form of a matrix of design actions which becomes a synthetic device to orient the architectural and spatial project. Starting from the analysis of a series of case studies identifies a set of possible design actions that can be implemented and are able to foster gender equality both in the process and the outcome of an architectural project at the intermediate scale, working at the crossroads of tangible and intangible aspects. In this sense, it brings together: The ‘Hardware’ or The Physical Dimension: The Materiality of Spaces; The ‘Software’: The Use of Space and the Experience of Architecture; The Symbolic Dimension: Visibility and Representation; The Perceptive Dimension: Thermal Comfort, Psychological and Physical comfort, and Sense of Belonging in Space, Safety, Noise. With this holistic perspective the discussion is on how to re-position the architectural and spatial project within the entanglement of form and use, of poetics of space and politics.

Andrea Urbina
Cornell University, USA
“Rethinking Incrementalism in Latin America: Relook at ‘Operación Sitio’ policy in Chile”

Vanessa Alexandra Velasco Bernal
District Secretariat of Habitat of Bogotá, Colombia

“Financing line for Social Housing Acquisition”
One of the main difficulties that lower-income Bogotá households face in acquiring a home is the impossibility of achieving financial closure. In fact, according to estimates made by the District Habitat Secretariat, if a household wishes to acquire social housing in Bogotá, it requires a monthly income of around 3 minimum wages. According to the Multipurpose Survey (2021), 87% of non-property households in the city have incomes below this value, so that, without the existence of housing financing strategies, they would not be able to achieve the purpose of having their own home.
Added to the above is that households that have incomes of less than 3 minimum wages allocate more than 30% of their income to paying a lease to satisfy their housing needs, which prevents them from completing the savings necessary to purchase a home. In fact, according to UN Habitat, a home is affordable if less than 30% of family income is spent on housing.
This is why the financing lines aimed at facilitating the vulnerable population’s access to social housing are decisive. In recent years, Bogotá has made efforts in this regard, through public policy initiatives such as the District Housing Subsidy in Kind, the Mi Casa Ya complementary subsidy, the Preferential Offer program, among others. In general terms, these initiatives consisted of a contribution made by the district administration so that families could complete the financial closing of a housing unit. However, the resources allocated to these initiatives were insufficient to meet the demand for this type of programs and the housing needs of the city.
The new social housing financing strategy makes a significant effort in budgetary terms, tripling resources compared to the previous four-year period, thus demonstrating that social housing is one of the District Government’s greatest bets. Additionally, this strategy has several strengths compared to previous schemes. Firstly, it articulates the land management and authorization initiatives with the subsidy policy, so that the supply of social housing is generated in places that demand this type of housing units.
Secondly, the proposed strategy covers each of the phases of the construction cycle. In effect, with the “Preferential Offer” program, the pre-sale scheme is promoted, granting a monetary incentive from the moment of separation of the home. For its part, the “Financing Incentive” allows reducing the financial burden of the household, by granting a subsidy to the monthly mortgage loan payment, thus promoting sales of social housing and the start of new projects. “Reactivate your Purchase, Reactivate your home” has the main purpose of reducing the stock of finished homes and avoiding withdrawals, which in turn drives the launch of new projects. Thus, with the acquisition subsidy strategy, the entire cycle is managed, while the housing needs of families are met.
In fact, in social terms, the new line of housing financing focuses on the lowest-income households in the city, that is, families whose monthly income does not exceed 4 minimum wages. It is precisely this population segment that faces the greatest limitations in access to housing, due, among other factors, to the instability of their income, their labor informality and their low access to long-term financing mechanisms. With the new financing line, it is also possible to reduce the household income required to buy a home, with important effects in terms of equity.
With this strategy, it is expected that around 30,000 households will be able to have their own home, which has positive effects not only in terms of reducing the housing deficit but also in terms of economic reactivation. This, since the building sector in Bogotá has productive chains with 34 other economic activities, generates around 4 direct and indirect jobs per built unit and generates added value to the economy.
In this way, social housing becomes a powerful instrument of economic reactivation, poverty reduction and urban transformation in Bogotá.

Sally Watson
Newcastle University, UK

“Experimenting with British postwar housing and children in Byker”
My paper focuses on experimentation in housing in postwar Britain. It outlines how this experimentation evolved in parallel with changing approaches to understanding housing needs from the perspective of the user, showing how ideas about the child influenced housing
research and recommendations for play spaces between the 1940s and 1970s. It then explores how forward-thinking ideas about children and housing combined with an innovative and novel participatory approach influenced the design of Byker, a housing estate in Newcastle
upon Tyne, north east England, by the architectural practice Ralph Erskines Arkitektkontor.
It does so through examining sociologically informed experiments in participation at different scales; from housing as a living laboratory to the pop-up playground to participatory approaches to landscape design. I demonstrate how conflicting ideas about the child held by
architects and residents and the behaviour of children themselves influenced the landscape design in Byker. I show how residents sought to steer the course of these experiments, constructing children as out of place, to object to children playing and to play spaces that
legitimised such play.
Finally, I reflect on how neoliberal policies that defunded and contributed to the stigmatisation of social housing in Britain impacted those who grew up Byker even while the Byker’s success as an experiment was promoted by its architects. I argue that notions of the child were influenced by changing approaches to user needs and responses to this by an adult public.

Tim White
Cardiff University, UK

“Housing Ideology and Urban Residential Change: The rise of co-living in the financialized city”
This article develops the concept of housing ideology in order to analyze the rise of co-living. Housing ideology refers to the dominant ideas and knowledge about housing that are used to justify and legitimize the housing system and its place within the broader political economy. Coliving is the term for privately operated, for-profit group rental housing.
The article argues that the rise of co-living is supported by four key ideological elements—corporate futurism, technocratic urbanism, market populism and curated collectivism—which serve to legitimize co-living within the housing system and enable its profitability. The ideology of coliving appears to critique many elements of the contemporary urban housing system.
But despite its critical self-image, co-living does not represent an alternative to today’s financialized urbanization.
Ultimately, the article argues for the importance of understanding the role of housing ideologies in residential change.