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Sharing housing: a solution to – or a reflection of – housing inequality?

Grundström, Karin ; Grander, Martin ; Lazoroska, Daniela LU and Molina, Irene (2024) In Journal of Housing and the Built Environment 39(4). p.2049-2068
Abstract
Shared housing is a rather unusual phenomenon in Sweden. However, due to the decreasing availability of affordable housing and a large share of single-person households in urban areas, sharing is on the rise and new forms of shared housing have entered the market. By analysing how shared housing overlaps with existing patterns of socioeconomic segregation and by interviewing developers of diverse forms of shared housing in the cities of Stockholm and Malmö, this article aims to evolve the understanding of sharing housing from a perspective on housing inequality. We find that while many households are sharing housing because there are no other options, others share because they have the possibility to share certain spaces and facilities,... (More)
Shared housing is a rather unusual phenomenon in Sweden. However, due to the decreasing availability of affordable housing and a large share of single-person households in urban areas, sharing is on the rise and new forms of shared housing have entered the market. By analysing how shared housing overlaps with existing patterns of socioeconomic segregation and by interviewing developers of diverse forms of shared housing in the cities of Stockholm and Malmö, this article aims to evolve the understanding of sharing housing from a perspective on housing inequality. We find that while many households are sharing housing because there are no other options, others share because they have the possibility to share certain spaces and facilities, which makes life easier and enhances a sense of togetherness. While the first category is concentrated in marginalized and racialized areas of the cities, the other category is concentrated in well-off areas. Developers offering shared solutions in marginalized areas are few but do so based on a discourse of ‘receiving less for more’, while developers offering shared housing in wealthier districts are doing so based on ‘sustainability’ and ‘making life easier’, as the shared housing includes private facilities and services that aim to support an effortless lifestyle in districts with existing urban assets. The conclusion is that sharing housing is no longer solely built on community spirit and de-growth, but sharing housing is also a reflection of contemporary housing inequality. (Less)
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author
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publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Journal of Housing and the Built Environment
volume
39
issue
4
pages
2049 - 2068
publisher
Springer
external identifiers
  • scopus:85203967179
ISSN
1573-7772
DOI
10.1007/s10901-024-10130-9
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
daef26ce-6b77-4abe-8c9b-5eaf995677e4
date added to LUP
2024-10-03 10:38:03
date last changed
2025-04-04 13:58:25
@article{daef26ce-6b77-4abe-8c9b-5eaf995677e4,
  abstract     = {{Shared housing is a rather unusual phenomenon in Sweden. However, due to the decreasing availability of affordable housing and a large share of single-person households in urban areas, sharing is on the rise and new forms of shared housing have entered the market. By analysing how shared housing overlaps with existing patterns of socioeconomic segregation and by interviewing developers of diverse forms of shared housing in the cities of Stockholm and Malmö, this article aims to evolve the understanding of sharing housing from a perspective on housing inequality. We find that while many households are sharing housing because there are no other options, others share because they have the possibility to share certain spaces and facilities, which makes life easier and enhances a sense of togetherness. While the first category is concentrated in marginalized and racialized areas of the cities, the other category is concentrated in well-off areas. Developers offering shared solutions in marginalized areas are few but do so based on a discourse of ‘receiving less for more’, while developers offering shared housing in wealthier districts are doing so based on ‘sustainability’ and ‘making life easier’, as the shared housing includes private facilities and services that aim to support an effortless lifestyle in districts with existing urban assets. The conclusion is that sharing housing is no longer solely built on community spirit and de-growth, but sharing housing is also a reflection of contemporary housing inequality.}},
  author       = {{Grundström, Karin and Grander, Martin and Lazoroska, Daniela and Molina, Irene}},
  issn         = {{1573-7772}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{4}},
  pages        = {{2049--2068}},
  publisher    = {{Springer}},
  series       = {{Journal of Housing and the Built Environment}},
  title        = {{Sharing housing: a solution to – or a reflection of – housing inequality?}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10901-024-10130-9}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/s10901-024-10130-9}},
  volume       = {{39}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}