Socially Just Provision of Housing? : A comparative case study on notions of social justice and the interpretation of the right to adequate housing for all in the municipal housing provision in Stockholm and Berlin.

Abstract: This study explores how notions of social justice are reflected in municipal rhetorics on housing provision in Berlin and Stockholm, as well as how they resonate with ensuring the right to adequate housing for all. The study also examines how the interpretation of the justice perspective within housing provision differs among the two cities and how such variances can be understood in relation to the cities’ pursued housing regimes. The study’s results indicate that both cities devote a significant amount of attention towards redistributive measures, however, their interpretation of a socially just provision of housing varies. This manifests itself most prominently in the different preferences regarding universal and selective approaches within housing provision. While Stockholm aspires to promote access to adequate housing for everyone, Berlin, on the other hand, pursues a more selective approach by explicitly focusing on providing affordable housing to lower-income groups. Accordingly, the two cases also represent an ideological divergence in their perceptions of what is seen as socially just in regards to what instruments and approaches ought to be used for ensuring everyone’s right to adequate housing. Hence, the study contributes to a better understanding of the contextual variations in the application of the justice perspective within housing provision in Stockholm and Berlin.