This project will examine the relationship between tenant participation and belonging in three different contexts and housing regimes in Malmø, Oslo and Quebec.
Public housing tenants have few legal rights. It is arguable that such tenants in general have less feeling of belonging than home owners, as they suffer from short-term contracts and lower standards, shame and lack of identification. Public housing tenants cannot choose where to live, and often have to ask for permission for very small interior changes.
Less than 1% of Norwegian tenants are organized. Nonetheless, there are examples of public housing tenant organizing and gaining influence. Tenant participation can be understood individually, collectively and on politically.
This project will examine the relationship between tenant participation and belonging in three different contexts and housing regimes: Malmø, Sweden; Oslo, Norway; and Quebec, Canada. Each city adheres to very different models for public housing.
While earlier research has looked at everyday interactions and participation of tenants in neighbourhoods (for example Tjora), few studies have focused on social housing tenants.
The current housing crisis is international and affects all groups that social workers, child welfare workers and other welfare professionals meet. There is an urgent need for professionals to understand poverty in a larger and material context and also to build knowledge that combines insights from studies of housing regimes and welfare support between different countries with micro-level insights on emotionality and embodied experiences connected to public housing tenancy. This project is located at the intersection of social work, social policy and community organization
