1 Abstract This diploma thesis deals with the unavailability of housing in Prague in relation to young people and seniors. The aim is to find out whether the setting of the local housing policy reflects selected life cycle phases. The thesis is based on the theory of life path and the theory of transition to adulthood. It describes the concept of generation rent, the development of Czech housing policy and its current setting, key actors, differences and interconnectedness of housing policy at the state and local level and what types of housing support are offered to young people and seniors. It also deals with the causes of housing unavailability and citizens' preferences regarding housing types. The work is conceived as a case study focused on Prague. Qualitative and quantitative methods were applied in the research in the form of semi-structured interviews with young people and seniors and expert interviews with experts from the Ministry for Regional Development, Prague City Hall and some city districts. A secondary analysis of data collected by the Czech Statistical Office over a period of fifteen years was performed. I found out that the support of people in transition to adulthood and retired people is not sufficient at the local level. Prague does not have a sufficient number of tools to help these...

Housing approximately half a million residents, the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) has long been cast as the exception to the rule of ‘demolish and replace’ models of public housing in the United States. Yet as NYCHA faces a dire fiscal and administrative crisis, it has proposed a suite of privatization efforts that threaten its successful reputation. With a focus on NYCHA’s effort to allow private developers to construct mixed-income ‘infill’ projects on existing ‘underutilized’ public housing land through the NextGeneration NYCHA and NYCHA 2.0 plans, in this dissertation, I ask: how do various stakeholders, including residents, the housing authority, private developers, elected officials, and non-profit and advocacy stakeholders justify, react to, and resist NYCHA’s plans for redevelopment? While most studies consider the impacts of mixed-income housing on residents after lease up of a development, interpreting it as either a de facto beneficial policy or as a tool for state-led gentrification, this work differs in its focus on the range of viewpoints about the plan prior to construction. In so doing, it straddles the literature on mixed-income housing and urban planning processes through the lens of pragmatism. A pragmatic approach centers those most impacted in planmaking and considers how diverse stakeholder experiences co-exist and contrast in public deliberation processes. In other words, this dissertation considers how the housing authority’s various publics have reacted differently to the plans for its transformation with the goal of informing how to craft more restorative, equitable, and deliberative planning processes. Using data from over a year and a half of participant observation, interviews, and media and policy sources, I craft a qualitative narrative case of the deliberations surrounding NYCHA’s first five years of redevelopment from a variety of stakeholder perspectives. Using narrative and framework analysis, I organize this dissertation around three empirical chapters: 1) an anatomy of the formal and dialogical channels of engagement between speakers and NYCHA officials at 10 public meetings following the NextGeneration NYCHA plan’s release; 2) an account of the housing authority’s stop-and-start approach to pursuing infill set amidst its various crises, including an analysis of the viewpoints of public officials and a private developer selected for a pilot infill site; and 3) a description of residents’ opposition to the plan, which includes descriptions of spaces of contestation citywide and at a specific pilot infill development on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. I find that while multiple stakeholders agree on the end goal of repairing existing public housing, actors promote a series of contradictions in their means to fix it, shaping a hotly contested landscape that has eroded public trust and further delayed action. Despite critiquing the housing authority for their management practices, residents launched a campaign to keep their homes publicly-operated that extended beyond the walls of their developments to citywide and even national progressive issues. This dissertation contributes to the housing policy and urban planning literature in three ways. First, it proposes an understanding of mixed-income housing that eschews past binary approaches and shows its perceived benefits and risks as highly dependent on the values and goals of the stakeholder. Second, it looks at conflicting attitudes to planmaking outside of a traditional consensus-based models, inviting a contextual understanding of power dynamics while also placing value on the experiences and actions of the majority Black and Latinx public housing residents who are the most impacted by the infill plans. Lastly, this dissertation also serves to profile pragmatism’s power–and limits– for theorizing more equitable redevelopment processes in planning.

After the 2008 Global Financial Crash, Ireland’s neoliberal housing policy turned again to housing financialisation as focus lay upon the attraction of corporate investors in order to revive the housing market. The result was a swift return to housing price rises but this came with ever growing homelessness and housing precarity as REITs and other corporate investors' influence on the housing market grew. Affordability has become a common framing as one of the key issues which Ireland’s housing system is currently facing, by the state and researchers alike. However, much of this research frames housing issues and policies as being objectively defined. Social constructionism holds that housing issues and policy are heavily subjective, where material conditions are subjectively negotiated among competing narratives steeped in ideology and vested interests in an attempt to create a dominant narrative. This research, building upon a social constructionism approach, has analysed the negotiated process within the affordability discourse of Ireland. The key findings are that the state’s affordability narrative remains heavily linked to a commodified, private sector led housing provision which holds to its traditional liberal welfare regime. This narrative is reflected in the private sector’s narrative, which frames the state as a facilitator of the efficient private sector, which within a housing system free of state barriers, can create affordability. However, as more and more face into greater housing precarity as unaffordability grows, a counter narrative framing state built public housing, supported by the non-profit sector as key to reducing the reliance on a greedy private sector and in so doing, achieving affordability. As this movement grows, spearheaded by the increasing threat of Sinn Féin to parliamentary power and the growth of the trade union led Raise the Roof campaign movement, this counter narrative has grown in power. Although limited, there has been a shift in the state’s narrative which reflects that of the counter narrative where the state frames the need for a greater direct state role in affordable housing provision and state intervention as a control mechanism on the negative effects of the profit motive of the private sector. Although this can not be said to be a shift in welfare regime, it highlights the negotiated process of narratives within affordability discourse.

No description available.

En kommunal markanvisning kan liknas vid ett OPS-liknande förhållande mellan kommun och bostadsutvecklare, där den senare kan betraktas ha en option att få köpa kommunal mark. Arbetet undersöker och analyserar de olika processer som leder fram till att bostadsutvecklare får tillgång till mark via kommunala markanvisningar i Stockholms län. Studien undersöker dels ett kommunalt perspektiv, vilket behandlar själva tilldelningen av mark. Därutöver undersöks också bostadsutvecklarnas perspektiv, vilket behandlar olika företags tilldelningar. Studien innefattar en litteraturstudie, en innehållsanalys utifrån ett unikt dataset som baseras på sekundärdata från kommuner, samt hypotesprövning med hjälp av chi-två-test. Litteraturstudien undersöker markanvisningar i en historisk kontext, därefter hur markanvisningsprocessen betraktas idag både ur ett nationellt och ett internationellt perspektiv. Sekundärdata till innehållsanalysen består av information kring samtliga tilldelade markanvisningar i elva kommuner i Stockholms län mellan åren 2015-2017. Informationen är hämtad efter kontakt med kommunerna ifråga. Studien betraktar markanvisningar som direkt jämförbara observationer. Markanvisningarna är indelade i direkt- och anbudsanvisningar. Hypotesprövning med hjälp av chi-två-test har genomförts för att testa olika uppställda hypoteser om vilka typer av företag som tilldelats vilken typ av markanvisning. Studien visar att kommuner arbetar på olika sätt när de tilldelar markanvisningar. Kommuner har olika förutsättningar som utmynnar i olika arbetssätt. Anbudsanvisningar har högre markpris än direktanvisningar, vilket kan bero på olika saker. Spelregler i anbudsanvisningar är både otydliga och oförutsägbara. Otydligheten beror främst på att en stor mängd bedömningskriterier har använts i förhållande till antalet anvisningar. Oförutsägbarheten är främst ett resultat av att bedömningskriterierna har haft en tydlig viktning, med angiven poäng eller procent, i endast hälften av fallen. Pris bedöms generellt som det viktigaste bedömningskriteriet i anbudsanvisningar. Olika typer av företag är olika framgångsrika i olika typer av markanvisningar. Omsättning och börsnotering har statistisk signifikant påverkan på detta. Allmännyttiga företag tilldelas fler markanvisningar än andra, men i en historisk kontext tilldelas de som grupp färre lägenheter jämfört med tidigare decennium på sent 1900-tal. Stora företag agerar irrationellt vid anbudsanvisningar. Många bostadsutvecklare visar kortsiktigt intresse för markanvisningar, där två av tre aktörer aldrig fått någon mark. / A Swedish municipal land allocation can be regarded as an option for a developer to purchase municipal land. This study investigates and analyses the various processes that lead to the availability of land for housing developers via municipal land allocations in Stockholm County. The study examines partly a municipal perspective, which deals with the actual allocation of land. In addition, a housing developer’s perspective is investigated, which deals with different corporate allocations.  The study includes a literature study, a content analysis based on a unique dataset based on secondary data from municipalities, and hypothesis testing using chi-squared tests. The literature study investigates land allocations in a historical context, then how the process is considered today, both from a national and an international perspective. Secondary data for the content analysis consists of information about all land allocations in eleven municipalities in Stockholm County between the years 2015-2017. The information is obtained after contact with the municipalities in question. The study regards land allocations as directly comparable observations. The land allocations are divided into direct and tender allocations. Hypothesis testing using chi-squared tests has been conducted to test different hypotheses about which types of companies that get different types of land allocations.  The study shows that municipalities work differently with land allocations. Municipalities have different conditions that emerge in different ways of working. Tender allocations have higher land prices than direct allocations, which may mean different things. “Game rules” in tender allocations are both unclear and unpredictable. They are unclear because of a total use of a large amount of assessment criteria in relation to the number of land allocations. They are unpredictable because of the lack of weighted criteria, with specified points or percentages, in only half of the cases. Price is generally assessed as the most important criterion in tender allocations. Different types of companies are different successful in different types of allocations. Turnover and listing have statistically significant impact on this. Public utility companies are awarded more land allocations than others, but in a historical context, they are assigned fewer apartments compared to previous decades in the late 1900s. Large companies act irrationally with tender allocations. Many housing developers show short-term interest in land allocations, where two out of three have never been awarded any land.

Since the mid-century proliferation of public housing, policy makers and environmental justice advocates have exposed the fact that geographically and economically isolated public housing sites are ultimately detrimental to residents and communities. In recent years, more progressive housing policies have emphasized the importance of site location in the success of housing programs. This study explores the intersection of affordable housing policy and “food desert” research, by assessing the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) program in California, with specific attention to the grocery store category within the Site Amenities section. Since the inception of the LIHTC program in 1986, the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee (CTCAC) has made multiple revisions to its application process. The study evaluates the current accessibility of grocery stores from LIHTC sites in Alameda and Santa Clara Counties in Northern California. It also critiques the changes in application scoring, criteria, and the indicators of food facility proximity and quality, identifying weaknesses, recommendations, and areas for further research. It finds that despite CTCAC’s efforts to improve the effectiveness of the application, there does not seem to improvement in grocery store access over time. Further research is needed to determine whether this condition is a result of a failure on the part of the application process, or of high land costs and limited availability of developable land.

Welche Rolle spielt Wohnungspolitik im Kontext urbaner Resilienz? Im Ringen um urbane Zukünfte stellt sich die Frage nach einem krisenfesten und zugleich an sozialen Bedarfen orientierten Wohnungsbestand. Sie lässt sich nicht lösen, ohne die komplexen Zusammenhänge demografischer, sozioökonomischer und ökologischer Krisen zu beachten. Dennoch wurden Resilienz und Wohnungspolitik auf wissenschaftlicher Ebene bislang kaum zusammenhängend diskutiert. Die Lücke gilt es konzeptionell wie empirisch zu schließen. Die Stadt Leipzig hat mit extremen Entwicklungen von Demografie und Wohnungsmarktlagen seit 1989 umzugehen. Anhand der wohnungspolitischen Konzepte der Stadt Leipzig und kontextualisierender Expert:inneninterviews untersucht Friederike Frieler in einer Fallstudie fünf Prinzipien resilienten Wohnens: Sicherheit, Geeignetheit, Bezahlbarkeit, Ressourceneffizienz und soziale Integration. Über den Begriff des Resilienzdenkens zeigt sie, wie sich Manifestationen dieser Prinzipien in politischen und planerischen Entscheidungsprozessen erkennen lassen. So ermöglicht das Konzept über den Einzelfall hinaus, Resilienzprinzipien in lokaler Wohnungspolitik zu erforschen und sie letztlich in der Praxis bewusst zu verfolgen.:Abbildungsverzeichnis VII Tabellenverzeichnis VIII Abkürzungsverzeichnis IX 1 Einleitung 1 1.1 Forschungsinteresse und Ziele 1 1.2 Forschungsfragen 9 1.3 Aufbau der Arbeit 11 2 Theorie 15 2.1 Der Resilienzbegriff 17 2.1.1 Perspektiven der Resilienzforschung 21 2.1.2 Das Forschungsfeld der Urbanen Resilienz 25 2.1.3 Wohnen als Forschungsgegenstand Urbaner Resilienz 30 2.1.4 Modell adaptiver Zyklen zur Resilienzanalyse von Wohnraumversorgung 39 2.1.5 Resilienzdenken 45 2.1.6 Normativität und Essentialismus – Kritik am Resilienzkonzept 53 2.2 Wohnraumversorgung und Wohnungspolitik 58 2.2.1 Wohnen als soziales Gut 60 2.2.2 Wohnen als wirtschaftliches Gut 64 2.2.3 Akteure 73 2.2.4 Wohnungspolitik 76 2.2.5 Instrumente der kommunalen Wohnungspolitik 78 2.3 Demografie und Sozialstruktur 83 2.3.1 Soziodemografischer Wandel 84 2.3.2 Sozialstruktur der Haushalte 92 2.3.3 Soziodemografischer Wandel als Störeinfluss im Resilienzmodell 95 2.4 Zusammenfassung der theoretischen Grundlagen 103 3 Konzeption und Operationalisierung 109 3.1 Resilience of what 111 3.1.1 Capability-Ansatz und Wohnen 113 3.1.2 Konsens-Dokumente der Wohnungs- und Stadtentwicklungspolitik 117 3.1.3 Ergebnis: Fünf Maximen für ‚gutes Wohnen‘ 121 3.2 Resilience to what 124 3.2.1 Auswirkungen soziodemografischer Veränderungen 125 3.2.2 Ergebnis: Wohnraumkrisen durch soziodemografischen Wandel 132 3.3 Resilience analysis 133 3.3.1 Variablen und Indikatoren 134 3.3.2 Resilienz-Dimensionen 143 3.3.3 Ergebnis: Operationalisierung resilienter Wohnraumversorgung 144 3.4 Resilience management 151 3.4.1 Schlüsselprinzipien 152 3.4.2 Resilienzdenken 154 3.4.3 Ergebnis: Acht Resilienzprinzipien 157 3.5 Zusammenfassung der Konzeptionierung 158 4 Methodik 163 4.1 Untersuchungsdesign: Qualitative Einzelfallstudie 163 4.1.1 Auswahl des Falls 164 4.1.2 Akteurszentrierter Ansatz 167 4.2 Auswahl, Erhebung und Aufbereitung der Daten 168 4.2.1 Dokumentenanalyse als interpretative Methode 170 4.2.2 Problemzentriertes Experteninterview 172 4.2.3 Reflexion der Interviewerin zum Interview-Prozess 176 4.3 Qualitative Inhaltsanalyse 177 4.3.1 Kategorienbildung und Codierung 178 4.3.2 Analyse und Auswertung 178 5 Empirie 181 5.1 Überblick Leipzig 1990–2020 182 5.1.1 Entwicklung von Demografie, Wohnraumversorgung und Wohnungsmarkt 183 5.1.2 Akteure 193 5.1.3 Wohnungspolitische Konzepte, Diskurse und Zielsetzungen 196 5.1.4 Ergebnis: Versetzte Zyklen, träge Anpassung 199 5.2 Resilienzrelevante Themen der Leipziger Wohnungspolitik 202 5.2.1 Kleinräumiges Wohnungsmarktmonitoring und Prognosen 204 5.2.2 Wohnungspolitische Instrumente 210 5.2.3 Kommunale Wohnungs- und Baugesellschaft LWB 218 5.2.4 Kooperationsbereitschaft 221 5.2.5 Partizipation 224 5.2.6 Ergebnis: Potenziale mit Hemmungen 227 5.3 Elemente von Resilienzdenken 231 5.3.1 Redundanz 232 5.3.2 Flexibilität 237 5.3.3 Vielfalt 243 5.3.4 Modularität 248 5.3.5 Feedbacklänge 250 5.3.6 Sozialer Zusammenhalt 257 5.3.7 Lernen und Innovation 260 5.3.8 Gerechtigkeit 263 5.3.9 Ergebnis: Lücken zwischen Anspruch und Realität 268 5.4 Zusammenfassung der empirischen Ergebnisse 272 6 Schlussbetrachtung 277 6.1 Gutes Wohnen als Teil urbaner Resilienz 278 6.2 Resilienzanalyse der Leipziger Wohnungspolitik 282 6.2.1 Bewertung der Anwendbarkeit 285 6.2.2 Übertragbarkeit auf andere Städte 287 6.3 Fazit und Ausblick 290 6.3.1 Transformationspotenziale für eine resiliente Wohnraumversorgung 290 6.3.2 Relevanz für Akteure der kommunalen Wohnungspolitik 292 Literaturverzeichnis 295 Quellenverzeichnis 329 Verzeichnis der juristischen Quellen 337 Anhang 341 A Textstellenbelege für die Maximen ‚guten Wohnens‘ 341 B Datenquellen zur Wohnungsmarktsituation in Leipzig 345 C Interviewleitfaden (Beispiel) 347 D Codesysteme zur Interviewauswertung 349

Выпускная квалификационная работа (магистерская диссертация) посвящена исследованию действующей социальной жилищной политики в России. Предметом исследования выступают механизмы финансирования социального жилья в рамках проводимой жилищной политики. Цель исследования заключается в разработке рекомендаций по совершенствованию системы финансирования строительства социального жилья на основе государственно-частного партнерства. В заключении обозначены рекомендации по дальнейшему развитию социального жилья и способах финансирования его строительства с участием частных партнеров. / Final qualifying work (master's thesis) is devoted to the study of current social housing policy in Russia. The subject of the research is the mechanisms of financing social housing in the context of the current housing policy. The purpose of the study is to develop recommendations for improving the system of financing the construction of social housing on the basis of public-private partnership. In conclusion, recommendations for the further development of social housing and ways to finance its construction with the participation of private partners are indicated.

Idag är det dyrt och svårt att ta sig in på bostadsmarknaden i Norden då det både är höga marknadspriser och långa köer till vissa marknadssegment, detta blir speciellt ett problem för de mer resurssvaga hushållen. Åtkomliga bostäder handlar om hur man genom olika modeller kan tillhandahålla bostäder till överkomligt pris för låg- och medelinkomsttagare. Dessa bostäder är inte speciellt inriktat på missgynnade grupper, till exempel drogmissbrukare eller de med svåra psykiska problem, utan de grupper där problemet endast är en låg inkomst. Det kan alltså handla om unga vuxna, immigranter, studerande eller hushåll med lägre inkomster. Begreppet åtkomlig bostad är dock relativt då två hushåll med samma inkomst kan ha olika utgifter beroende av bland annat hushållets och bostadens storlek och vart bostaden är belägen. Det samma gäller synen på vad som är en åtkomlig bostad då den kan variera både mellan städer och länder.  Denna litteraturstudie utfördes för att undersöka hur de nordiska ländernas jobb med att gynna åtkomliga bostäder återspeglas i den vetenskapliga litteraturen. Resultatet i studien visar bland annat att allmännyttiga bostadsbolag och organisationer är betydande i de nordiska länderna för att tillgodose allmänheten med bostäder. Oftast är delar av detta bestånd också sociala bostäder. Hur stor del de tar upp av det totala beståndet och vilken roll de har varierar mellan länderna. En annat relativt nytt sätt att främja åtkomliga bostäder är genom inkluderande bostadsbyggande. Kommunen använder sig av olika verktyg inom planeringssystemet för att se till att det vid nya projekt byggs en viss del billigare bostäder eller bostäder som ska riktas till en viss grupp. Detta sker med varierande metoder i de olika länderna då mycket beror på hur landets regelsystem ser ut. Olika typer av ekonomiskt stöd riktade både mot invånare och till projektutvecklare finns i länderna. Bostadsbidrag för att stötta hushållen beskrivs som ett stöd som är enklare att koncentrera till just de som behöver. Detta då de subventioner som går till projektutvecklare gör träffsäkerheten svår. Andra mindre alternativ för att lösa tillgången till åtkomliga bostäder finns också men här diskuteras det om de ens har en speciellt stor inverkan då de endast görs i mindre projekt. De mer lyckade alternativen lyfts fram i diskussionen som möjliga förslag att införa i andra länder. Bland annat så är ett subventionerat bosparande för unga som finns i Norge en möjlig lösning för andra länder att använda sig av. / It is expensive and difficult to enter the housing market in the Nordic countries today as there are both high market prices and the housing queues for certain market segments are long, and this will be a particular problem for the more resource-poor households. Affordable housing is about how to provide housing that is affordable to the low- and middle-income earners through different models. These homes are not specifically targeted at disadvantaged groups, such as drug addicts or those with severe mental health problems, but the groups with the problem of a low income. It can thus be about young adults, immigrants, students or households with lower incomes. However, the concept of affordable housing is relative as two households with the same income may have different expenses depending on the size of the household and the dwelling, among other things. The same applies to the view of what is an accessible home as it can vary between cities and countries. This literature study was conducted to examine how the Nordic countries work to promote affordable housing are reflected in the scientific literature. The results of the study show, among other things, that public housing companies and organizations are significant in providing the public with housing in the Nordic countries. Most often, parts of this stock are also social housing. How much they take up of the total stock and what role they play varies between countries. Another relatively new way of promoting accessible housing is through inclusionary housing. The municipality uses various tools within the planning system to ensure that new building projects include a certain amount of cheaper housing or housing that is to be targeted at a certain group. This is done with varying methods in the different countries as it depends on what the country's system of regulations looks like. Different types of financial support aimed at both residents and developers exist in the countries. Housing allowance to support households is described as a support that is easier to concentrate on those who need it. This is because the subsidies that go to the developers makes it difficult with accuracy. There are also other smaller alternatives for solving the availability of affordable housing, but the discussion is whether they even have an impact as they are only done in smaller projects. The more successful alternatives are highlighted in the discussion as possible ideas to introduce in other countries. For example, a subsidized housing saving for young people in Norway is a possible solution for other countries to use.

Bostadspolitiken i Sverige behöver förändras för att skapa jämlika förutsättningar för kommuner att kunna utveckla den lokala bostadsmarknaden och tillgodose sitt lagstadgade bostadsförsörjningsansvar. Landsbygder har andra förutsättningar än de urbaniserade städerna och flera av Sveriges landsbygdskommuner uppvisar en befolkningsminskning, låga bostadspriser och liten eller obefintlig nyproduktion. Denna studien har riktat sitt fokus till två landsbygdskommuner i norra Sverige och deras arbete med sin bostadsförsörjning. Syftet med studien är att undersöka vilka förutsättningar det finns i kommunerna Sorsele och Älvsbyn att tillgodo se sitt bostadsförsörjningsansvar. Syftet är också att visa potentiella åtgärder i den nationella politiken som underlättar för landsbygdskommuner att tillgodose sitt bostadsförsörjningsansvar.  Resultaten av studien visar på att det finns många problem som står vägen för att kommunerna Älvsbyn och Sorsele ska kunna förbättra sina bostadsmarknader. Några av problemen som framkommer är låga fastighetspriser, finansieringssvårigheter och ett sviktande skatteunderlag. Konkurrenssituationen som existerar mellan kommunerna om invånare och arbetstillfällen medför att kommuner har en tendens att planera för en ökande befolkning snarare än en minskande. Detta i sin tur skapar problem då planeringen av service och bostadsbestånd inte är anpassade utifrån rådande förutsättningar, utan snarare är anpassade för en större befolkning. På grund av sina små ekonomiska muskler har Sorsele och Älvsbyn svårt att själva vända den pågående utvecklingen. Utifrån rådande situation tvingas de lägga sina förhoppningar på extern finansiering, företagsetableringar och inflyttningar.   För att visa på alternativ till pågående utveckling för bostadsförsörjning i landsbygdskommuner har en framtidsstudie gjorts. I framtidsstudien identifieras tre scenarier med potential att nå en positiv framtidsvision och den utgår ifrån hur bostadspolitiken behöver förändras för att landsbygdskommuner med svaga bostadsmarknader ska kunna leva upp till sitt bostadsförsörjningsansvar. Framtidsstudien visar på att reformer inom bostadspolitiken, landsbygdspolitiken och skattepolitiken kan användas för att uppnå visionen. Trots att det råder osäkerhet om genomförbarheten och resultatet av olika reformer som föreslås i framtidsstudien, är en slutsats att framtidens bostadspolitik har mycket goda förutsättningar att lyckas skapa en förbättrad bostadsmarknad i landsbygdskommuner. / Housing policy in Sweden needs to change in order to create equal conditions for municipalities to develop the local housing market and meet their statutory housing supply responsibilities. Rural areas, particularly in northern Sweden, have long been disadvantaged by housing policies pursued by the government. Rural areas are in a difficult situation and several areas are experiencing population decline, low house prices and little or no new construction. As housing research tends to focus on housing policy from the perspective of an urban norm, this study has instead focused on housing policy in rural areas. The aim of this study is to investigate what conditions exist in the municipalities of Sorsele and Älvsbyn and how they are working to achieve their housing supply responsibilities. Furthermore, the aim is to examine potential national policy measures to help rural municipalities meet their housing responsibilities. The results of the study show that there are many problems that stand in the way of the municipalities of Älvsbyn and Sorsele improving their housing markets. Some of the problems identified are low property prices, financing difficulties and a shrinking tax base. Because of their small financial muscle, Sorsele and Älvsbyn have difficulty in reversing the current trend themselves. Given the current situation, they are forced to place their hopes in external financing, the establishment of companies and the arrival of new residents.  In contrast to current housing trends, a futures study has been undertaken to show alternatives to the current development of housing supply in rural municipalities. The study identifies three scenarios with the potential to achieve a positive vision of the future, based on how housing policy needs to change to enable rural municipalities with weak housing markets to meet their housing supply responsibilities. The futures study shows that reforms in housing policy, as well as fiscal policy can be used to achieve the vision.  Despite uncertainty about the feasibility and outcome of various reforms proposed in the future study, this study concludes that future housing policy has a very good chance of succeeding in creating an improved housing market in rural municipalities.