Housing and Sustainability : A study about how municipalities and public housing companies in Uppsala county are working with sustainability regarding public housing

Abstract: The research topic of this study is about how municipalities and public housing companies in Uppsala county are working with sustainability regarding public housing. Housing can have a significant impact on improving humans' well-being and quality of life. It can also have a significant impact on the environment by lowering households’ emissions. Uppsala county is experiencing a growing population which leads to a higher demand for housing. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to provide insight into how municipalities and public housing companies in Uppsala county are working with public housing. The method used to collect empirical data has been through semi-structured in-depth interviews with public housing officials at the municipalities and public housing companies in Uppsala county. The approach to the collected empirical data has been interpretative. The collected empirical data has provided the insight that there is extensive work going on with respect to the environmental, economic and social dimensions of sustainability at the municipalities and public housing companies. It also provided an understanding that public housing officials place the most emphasis on environmental sustainability when it comes to public housing while attempting to balance the possible trade-offs between these dimensions in planning for public housing. This study provides a base for further research regarding how to identify an appropriate balance between the three sustainability dimensions in public housing in Uppsala county.