Ewa Kucharska-Stasiak, Magdalena Załęczna, Konrad Żelazowski
The Evolution of Housing Policy Models in European Countries. Theoretical Approach
Purpose: Housing policy is a component of social policy; it attempts to study and assess the housing problems and ways of equalizing opportunities in access to housing services. The article aims to present the development of housing policy models in Europe to indicate the directions of their changes, and to assess the effects of their implementation.
Methods: A systematic review of the literature and comparative analysis were used to distinguish the most popular housing policy classifications as well as to systematize knowledge on the drivers of the evolution of housing models.
Findings: The study indicates a multitude of classifications of housing policy models. They all have roots in Donnison's original work but differ in nomenclature and complexity resulting from valorization rules. They reveal the importance of historical, social, cultural, and political conditions in the evolution of housing policy. For achieving the objectives of housing policy, the comprehensive model, in which the state participates in the process of satisfying housing needs, was proved to be more productive. The article is theoretical and does not verify the effectiveness of the presented housing policy models to a greater extent.
Research implications: The article highlights the fundamental differences between the main models of housing policy and the mechanism of their evolution. Besides, it presents a critical stance on the concept of housing policy of post-socialist countries, which, due to strongly market-oriented solutions focused mainly on private ownership of housing, did not significantly improve their housing situation.
Keywords: housing policy, housing policy models, socio-economic inequalities
JEL codes: O18, R31
Category of the paper: review article
CITATION (APA): Kucharska-Stasiak,E., Załęczna, M. & Żelazowski, K. (2019). The Evolution of Housing Policy Models in European Countries. Theoretical Approach. World of Real Estate Journal, 108(2), 69-85.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.14659/worej.2019.108.05
