Finding Home : Immigrant Homeownership in Sweden

Abstract: The aim of this thesis is to explore and discover how an immigrant ‘finds home’ inSweden through homeownership and to document first-hand experiences on their journey tohomeownership. Thirteen questions were sent via e-mail to twelve (12) participants whowere self-identified immigrants within Sweden. This deductive research rests on thetheoretical framework of the Theory of Finding Home (ToFH) and research on the meaningof ‘home’ that supports the hypothesis that homeownership contributes to an immigrant‘finding home’ in Sweden. The twelve (12) immigrants in Sweden of various backgroundsprovide the foundation for the analysis by elaborating on the relationship between owning ahome and the feeling of being at ‘home’ in Sweden. Home is found to be closely associatedwith feelings of belonging, comfort, safety, and financial well-being. The respondents’answers strongly suggest that owning a house/apartment in Sweden is a tremendousaccomplishment for an immigrant and serves as a major factor in finding the feeling of being‘at home.’