The rise of a Social Democratic Welfare State: a question about housing

Abstract: This thesis examines how the right to housing has arisen in Sweden and how it hasbeen articulated and expressed during the 20th and 21st century. Moreover, itinvestigates the shift and continuations within Swedish housing policies alongsidereviewing outcomes following the happenings with a focus on homelessness. This hasbeen done through a document analysis using a historical method providing means tounderstand the changes that have occurred over time. The material has been analyzedEsping-Andersen's stratification theory and Bengtsson's Universal and Selectiveapproach to housing as a social right. Throughout the analysis, it is concluded that theright housing has until the late 20 th century been expressed as a group held necessitydependent on a regulated housing market with state interference. Although, since the1990’s the right has rather been expressed as an individual responsibility to operateand function within the market. Furthermore, it is presented that the liberal shift inSwedish politics in 1991, has resulted in an unstable housing market and increasednumbers of homelessness.