Despite of a well-established welfare state in Sweden, socio-economic and residential segregation is increasing rapidly. This has for instance been related to the neo-liberalisation of the welfare state and housing system. One institutional tool for reducing systematic inequality is the housing allowance, which specifically targets low-income households with children as well as young households without children. However, recent studies show how these groups are becoming ever more excluded, despite of the financial aid. The aim of this thesis is thus to contribute with a situated understanding of the practical accomplishment of Swedish socio-economic marginalisation in relation to housing allowance and the welfare state. This is achieved by examining naturally occurring accounts socio-economic marginalisation in 366 audio recorded phone calls to the Swedish Social Insurance Agency about housing allowance, out of which I specifically focus on accounts made by single mothers. In order to make sense of the data, I apply and introduce an ethno-intersectional approach. This entails the synthesis of the applied ethnomethodological methods Conversation Analysis, Discursive Psychology and Membership Categorisation Analysis with intersectionality as one analytical device. The results demonstrate how single-mothers intersect financial troubles, single-motherhood and ill health while expressing situated marginalisation as part of doing legitimacy work. The study also sheds light on how the application of welfare policies could partake in the systematic (re)production of structural inequalities. At large, the introduction of the ethno-intersectional approach is grounded on the theoretical interest of encouraging further action-oriented and situated explorations of the ways in which categories of inequality such as class, ethnicity and gender operate in conjunction and contribute to the generation, reinforcement or alteration of structural intersections of socio-economic marginalisation and privilege.

The thesis "The increasing number of households below the own housing in the context of social housing" deals with the growing number of czech households that fall short on their own housing. The issue is examined through case studies of Česká Lípa rental housing in terms of housing and special purpose housing.

<p>This dissertation consists of four self-contained essays.</p><p>Essay I (with Cecilia Enström Öst) investigates whether housing allowance affects recipients’ tenure choice in Sweden. A two-stage conditional maxi-mum likelihood probit (2SCMLP) model is applied in a panel data setting to simultaneously control for individual heterogeneity, state dependence and endogeneity. The empirical study is based on administrative data of housing allowance recipients between the years 1994 and 2002. Our results indicate that the housing allowance positively affects recipients’ homeownership propensity in Sweden. </p><p>Essay II investigates whether the Swedish housing allowance system creates dependence on welfare in recipients. Using longitudinal data from Swedish micro database-LINDA, this paper found that there is no evidence of nega-tive duration dependence among the Swedish housing allowance spells. This finding is consistent across different model specifications and various con-trols of the heterogeneity issue. </p><p>Essay III analyzes the impacts of the 1997 reform of Swedish housing al-lowance system on affected recipients’ exit hazards using the DD (differ-ence-in-difference) estimation strategy. This paper found strong evidence that the 1997 reform positively shifted up the conditional exiting probability of the couple with children recipient group, and the estimated magnitude of impact is sizable.</p><p>Essay IV extends the VECM (Vector Error Correction Cointegration Model) and PT (permanent-transitory) variance decomposition framework proposed by Lettau & Ludvigson (2004) to a situation in which total wealth is disag-gregated into housing wealth and financial wealth. The empirical studies are based on the Swedish aggregate quarterly data spanning from 1980q1 to 2004q4. We found strong statistical evidence that the movements of total consumption expenditures, disposable income, housing wealth and financial wealth are tied together. It is also shown that the movements of housing wealth in Sweden contain a large proportion of transitory component. </p>

This dissertation consists of four self-contained essays. Essay I (with Cecilia Enström Öst) investigates whether housing allowance affects recipients’ tenure choice in Sweden. A two-stage conditional maxi-mum likelihood probit (2SCMLP) model is applied in a panel data setting to simultaneously control for individual heterogeneity, state dependence and endogeneity. The empirical study is based on administrative data of housing allowance recipients between the years 1994 and 2002. Our results indicate that the housing allowance positively affects recipients’ homeownership propensity in Sweden. Essay II investigates whether the Swedish housing allowance system creates dependence on welfare in recipients. Using longitudinal data from Swedish micro database-LINDA, this paper found that there is no evidence of nega-tive duration dependence among the Swedish housing allowance spells. This finding is consistent across different model specifications and various con-trols of the heterogeneity issue. Essay III analyzes the impacts of the 1997 reform of Swedish housing al-lowance system on affected recipients’ exit hazards using the DD (differ-ence-in-difference) estimation strategy. This paper found strong evidence that the 1997 reform positively shifted up the conditional exiting probability of the couple with children recipient group, and the estimated magnitude of impact is sizable. Essay IV extends the VECM (Vector Error Correction Cointegration Model) and PT (permanent-transitory) variance decomposition framework proposed by Lettau &amp; Ludvigson (2004) to a situation in which total wealth is disag-gregated into housing wealth and financial wealth. The empirical studies are based on the Swedish aggregate quarterly data spanning from 1980q1 to 2004q4. We found strong statistical evidence that the movements of total consumption expenditures, disposable income, housing wealth and financial wealth are tied together. It is also shown that the movements of housing wealth in Sweden contain a large proportion of transitory component.

The inadequate housing allowance, rental allowance, taxable subsidies and housing shortages in developing countries are some of the challenges of the 21st century. Namibia is no exception. The study is aimed at figuring out whether government actions and interventions are meant to address homelessness challenges for low-income households. Furthermore, the research problem is broadened to gain insight on the effects from four countries’ housing policies as covered in the study; namely Namibia, Botswana, Nigeria and South Africa. The literature review undertaken proved that Botswana and South Africa have the best housing allowance schemes for public servants below management cadres, and have already successfully addressed public housing problems in their respective countries. Other findings of the study are; land shortage for housing development, housing affordability problems, escalating prices for building materials, lack of intergovernmental relations systems, unemployment and low incomes. Several recommendations include; to assist the Namibian government to emulate good examples of Botswana and South Africa, especially by providing land free of charge to its citizens (in the case of Botswana), solve financial institutions’ attitude of denying low-in-come earners loans, review housing allowances, rent allowances and subsidies every two years, increase government/member contribution ratios to either 50 percent or 100 percent due to high inflation rates. Stop distorting housing market prices by property developers and come up with a housing pricing policy for Namibia. / Public Administration / M.A. (Public Administration)

This thesis covers the main problems related to loss of housing in the context of the institutional setting in the Czech Republic. The aim of this thesis is explaining the institutional setup of the system of prevention and help people / households that are at risk of losing housing and evaluate the system in terms of the possibility of prevention of social exclusion.The introductory part describes the characteristics of the key concepts in housing policy in relation to social housing and various approaches to social housing in selected countries (Sweden, Germany, Great Britain). The thesis focuses on the institutional analysis of the existing legal framework and possible solutions to the current housing shortage (welfare, social work, social services). In the research part of this thesis a case study of Louny municipality has been chosen as a model sample of resolving the current shortage of housing. Results of the analysis had been confronted and evaluated by perspective of people solving housing problems and relevant social workers working with poor people. In the end of the thesis, a SWOT analysis is delivered identifying strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the system.