Housing Careers: Immigrants in Local Swedish Housing Markets

Immigration to Sweden has changed character between the 1960s and today. Early immigration occurred as a response to labour market need whereas immigrants arriving during the last decade have had difficulties entering the labour market. The aim of this study is to analyse the housing careers of different immigrant groups within different local housing markets. The housing careers of immigrant groups are then compared and related to the housing career of the total population. Earlier studies have shown that the year of immigration is of importance for the type of housing career made as well as the cultural distance between the immigrant group and the Swedish population. The immigrants included in this study have arrived from Finland, ex-Yugoslavia, Chile, Africa, Iran and Turkey, representing the three different phases of immigration to Sweden. The analyses here show that both the structure of the local housing market and time spent in Sweden are important to the housing careers of immigrants.     

Parents’ housing careers and support for adult children across Europe

Abstract

Housing careers have important consequences for individuals’ well-being. The present study focuses on the role of parents’ housing careers in affecting the way and extent to which they provide economic support to their adult children. By adopting a family life course perspective, it shows that while housing tenure has relatively little effect on parents’ transfer behaviour, mobility between different tenures can elicit or suppress intergenerational support; moreover, the quality of the house positively affects intergenerational co-residence. Support received to acquire a home along one’s life course has an important demonstration effect: those parents who have received their home as a gift or have received economic support for buying it are more prone to provide help to their adult children. The empirical results do not allow to identify macro-contextual conditions that shape the effect of parents’ housing careers on intergenerational support, but they show that the demonstration effect plays only a marginal role in Southern Europe.     

The Housing Careers of Turkish Households in Middle-sized Swedish Municipalities

This paper examines how Turkish households adjust their housing consumption to their needs by making a housing career. The study was conducted in three middle-sized municipalities in the central part of Sweden: Gävle, Västerås and Jönköping. The longitudinal analysis is based on specially processed census data, and is limited to the period 1975-90. The study focuses on the housing choice by Turkish immigrants put into the conceptual framework of the life course. The supply of dwellings and their accessibility as well as the households' resources as constraining factors are explicitly recognised. This study reports a strong impact of higher income and increased household size on the households' moves to larger dwellings, and, in some cases, a move from rented into owner-occupied dwellings. This is in accordance with results from earlier residential mobility studies. Therefore, it would be expected that Turks go through more or less the same housing career as indigenous households, in this case as Swedes, but this is not true. The study reports that Turkish immigrant households are less likely to move out of the municipal rented sector and have a higher probability of remaining in certain immigrant-dense areas of the municipality than indigenous Swedish households.     

Housing supply and residential segregation in Ireland

The article examines the role of housing supply in ethnic diversity and the residential segregation of Asian, African and eastern European immigrants from Irish nationals in Ireland. Housing supply is defined as the proportions of new housing, private rental accommodation and social housing among all housing units in an electoral district. Multivariate regressions reveal that, among all three housing supply variables, the proportion of private rentals had the largest effect on ethnic diversity and immigrant— Irish segregation. Areas with higher proportions of private rental units were more ethnically diverse, had greater presences of Africans, Asians and eastern Europeans (as opposed to high concentrations of Irish nationals) and exhibited greater integration between each of the three immigrant groups and Irish nationals. The article concludes with a discussion of immigrant assimilation and questions whether the patterns of residential integration observed would further facilitate other forms of social inclusion for immigrants in Irish society.     

Moving Up or Moving Down? Housing Careers of Turks and Moroccans in Utrecht,the Netherlands

In the Netherlands, the housing conditions of most ethnic minorities are still inferior to those of the native Dutch. The focus of the paper is the housing careers of Turks and Moroccans in the city of Utrecht. Despite some improvements and certain exceptions, they still find themselves in housing conditions inferior to those of the native Dutch. A career approach is necessary to explain these less favourable housing conditions because the present situation cannot be seen separately from decisions taken earlier. Some of these decisions are taken in the field of housing, but it is argued here that decisions taken on the labour market and with respect to the household itself are of major importance. It is also argued that the ethnic cultural approach, which stresses the housing preferences of minority ethnic groups, does not adequately explain the housing conditions and housing careers of the Turks and Moroccans in the Netherlands.     

The Housing Careers of Polish and Somali Newcomers in Toronto's Rental Market

This paper evaluates and compares the housing careers of two recent immigrant groups, the Poles and Somalis, in Toronto's rental market. Both groups first arrived in Toronto in the late 1980s but under different circumstances and with different outcomes in the housing market. The study is situated in a general conceptual framework focusing on factors affecting the housing careers of households. The analysis is based on a questionnaire survey of 60 respondents from each group who arrived in Canada between 1987 and 1994. Information was collected about the search for three residences: the first permanent residence, the one immediately before the current one and the current residence. The analysis considers the individual and household characteristics that differentiate the Polish and Somali respondents, the characteristics of Toronto's rental market that potentially act as barriers in the search for housing, the housing search process and the outcomes of the search. The latter includes the nature of the dwelling and its surroundings as well as satisfaction with the dwelling and neighbourhood. The results confirm that the Poles have been more successful than the Somalis in establishing a progressive housing career. The reasons relate to differences in individual and household characteristics and the nature of the local housing market. Specific variables include socio-economic status, household size, community resources, the housing situation before coming to Canada, Toronto's tight rental market and perceived discriminatory barriers in that market. The paper concludes with a brief evaluation of the housing career concept as used in this study.     

Who leaves rental housing? Examining possible explanations for ethnic housing segmentation in Uppsala,Sweden

Swedish cities are not only segregated but also segmented along ethnic lines; i.e., different ethnic groups are unevenly distributed across the different tenure segments in the housing market. Immigrants are generally overrepresented in rental housing and underrepresented in home ownership and tenant–owner cooperative housing. In this paper, an attempt is made to evaluate the importance of socioeconomic resources in explaining this segmentation, using the Uppsala housing market as a case. By means of binary logistic regression an evaluation is made of the relative importance of socioeconomic resources and ethnic background, while controlling for demographic factors, in explaining whether a person leaves rental housing for home ownership or cooperative housing or remains in the rental segment. The results show that the socioeconomic situation of the individual is indeed very important. A high income and a stable position in the labor market seem to be crucial in order to advance in the housing market. Demographic and socioeconomic factors cannot, however, fully account for the differences found between Swedes and immigrant groups such as Africans and Eastern Europeans. The results imply that ethnic discrimination cannot be ruled out as an explanation for the underrepresentation of immigrants in the cooperative and owner-occupied segments.     

Does the ethnic gap in homeownership vary by income? An analysis on Dutch survey data

Lower levels of homeownership among immigrant populations have frequently been related to the particular financial constraints that immigrant households can face. Various problems have been raised with this explanation for the ethnic gap in homeownership rates. This paper responds to these criticisms by sensitizing the financial constraints explanation to the possibility of differential effects of ethnicity depending upon level of income. The hypothesis that the ethnic gap is stronger for lower income groups is tested through logistic analyses of the housing tenure of Turkish and Moroccan immigrants and a comparison group of native citizens in the Netherlands. High-income Turks are revealed to have comparable rates of homeownership to high-income natives, whereas in low-income groups a large ethnic gap exists. The ethnic gap in homeownership among low-income groups could not be explained by other financial constraints (education, couple’s earning status, parental resources). Housing preferences and discrimination are possible explanations for this ethnic gap among low-income households.     

Moving Out of Home Ownership in Later Life: The Influence of the Family and Housing Careers

Home ownership is often regarded as the preferred housing tenure; however, situations in parallel life-course careers might make moving to a rental home necessary or attractive to home owners. Retrospective data from the SHARELIFE survey were used to study the short- and long-term impact of situations and disruptions in the family and housing careers on leaving home ownership at middle (45–64) and older ages (65–80) in Denmark, Sweden and the Netherlands. We found that directly after separation and widowhood, the likelihood of leaving home ownership was the greatest. However, more than 10 years after separation and widowhood, individuals were still significantly more likely to leave ownership than those in their first marriage. Furthermore, late first childbirth and early first-time home ownership were associated with lower chances of leaving home ownership. We conclude that situations and changes in family and housing careers have both a short-term and a long-term impact on the likelihood of moving out of home ownership.     

Parental background and housing outcomes in young adulthood

Abstract

Scholars and policy-makers are concerned that young adults’ housing opportunities are becoming more dependent on their family background. This could hinder social mobility and exacerbate inequality. Using data from three cohorts of young people drawn from the Office for National Statistics Longitudinal Study of England and Wales, this study examines how parental attributes in childhood are linked to young adults’ housing outcomes two decades later. The results show that young adults’ housing outcomes have changed considerably over time and are persistently stratified by parental class and tenure in ways that vary by gender. Housing outcomes have become somewhat more polarised by parental tenure over time as the children of renters became relatively less likely to enter homeownership and more likely to rent privately. This suggests that renters became an increasingly ‘marginalised minority’ in the late twentieth century, with consequences for their children’s housing careers and future social inequality.     

Housing and Family Well-being

Housing encompasses a bundle of characteristics that are integral to family well-being. This literature review demonstrates that, on a physical level, housing must be decent and safe, as well as present in a family's life. Housing is also critical because of the way in which it relates to its occupants, providing sufficient space so that the family is not overcrowded; being affordable; providing opportunities to create a positive sense of self and empowerment; and providing stability and security. The paper concludes with a brief proposal that would involve a significantly increased commitment to housing based on all recipients of housing subsidies entering into a reciprocal relationship with the government.     

The Meaning of Home among Elderly Immigrants: Directions for Future Research and Theoretical Development

The paper discusses the notion that, in research on elderly immigrant housing, it is not enough to delineate the residential geography of different elderly immigrant groups or to study the economic and social reasons for their segregated habitations and exclusiveness. It is also necessary to understand, in the spatial context, the degree of integration and the differences between groups. In explaining these differences, consideration should be given to each elderly immigrant group's own value system, norms and preferences. It is argued that one necessary task in this endeavour is to gain knowledge about different elderly immigrant groups' understandings of what a home symbolises - what home means to them in the context of their particular ways of thinking and culture. From this point of view, the paper concludes that, when investigating the meaning of 'home' among elderly immigrants, an integrative theoretical approach based on an experiential perspective and a phenomenological and developmental perspective are deemed appropriate to be adopted.     

Housing Subsidies in the Nordic Countries1

Housing subsidies are substantial in all the Nordic countries. Very little consideration has, however, been given to analyzing the efficiency of the subsidy systems. This report presents a study on housing subsidies and their distribution and reviews some central issues of principle raised by it. Housing subsidies are defined in financial terms and are calculated for 1979. Both the total amount of subsidies and their distribution by income, household types and tenures are calculated. The results of the study suggest that the distributive effects of housing subsidies are in conflict with fundamental housing policy goals of the Nordic countries. In Finland, the largest proportion of subsidies, in relative terms, goes to groups in the middle income range, while the subsidy profile in Norway is strongly progressive, i.e. high‐income groups get the largest share. In Sweden, the different income groups receive roughly the same share of the total subsidies. Further research is needed to provide a basis for an evaluation of the existing subsidy systems.     

Immigration and Housing in an Emerging Global City, Sydney, Australia

By 2001, 33 per cent of Sydney's population of 4.2 million was born overseas. In the previous 15 years, 38 per cent of all immigrants to Australia settled in Sydney compared to the national population share of 21 per cent. Housing costs are highest in Sydney of any of the metropolitan cities in Australia and Sydney's emergence as a global city affects the housing market and has attracted diverse communities and skilled immigrants. This article presents Australian Bureau of Statistics census data to trace trends in home ownership and tenure among key immigrant groups in Sydney from the post-war era to recent times. It discusses the key factors that influence immigrant progress through the housing market and explores the dynamics of Sydney's residential mosaic.     

The Shaping of Housing Histories in Shanghai

During the last half century or so, China has probably experienced more dramatic and fundamental changes than most other societies. Housing and family life have been embedded in a series of far-reaching societal changes, notably the communist victory of 1949, the period of the Cultural Revolution and the more recent drive towards a more market oriented society, with housing reforms at the forefront. This paper examines the way in which housing histories among families in Shanghai were shaped by these events and by their interaction with specific intergenerational dynamics. The paper draws on research carried out in Shanghai in 2008 which involved in-depth interviews with individual members of three linked generations. The research provides a unique account of family housing histories over three generations against a particularly turbulent backcloth.     

Housing conditions and affordability in Japan

Housing in Japan is of interest as an example of how improvements in living conditions have not kept pace with national economic growth. This paper describes basic housing conditions in Japan and offers an assessment of them against the background of progress over time and within the context of housing conditions in several Western countries. Housing affordability is a growing problem, particularly for population groups that are marginal to the housing market. We discuss the emerging affordability crisis for renters and owners within the broader context of housing provision and review responses to it. The conclusion comments on likely future developments.     

Exploring housing careers among Ghanaians in Toronto,Canada

The argument that a successful housing career plays an important role in the immigrant integration process has been well established in the literature. Most studies on immigrant housing career do so without reference to the housing situation of immigrants in their homeland. Since housing career relates to sequence of dwellings people occupy throughout their life-course, an analysis of immigrants housing career should also begin with immigrants housing situation in the homeland. Unless we understand the sequence of dwellings that immigrants occupy throughout their life course in both the country of origin and host society, we will fail to fully comprehend dynamics of their housing career over their life-course. Using mixed method, this study illustrates the role of housing career in the integration process of Ghanaians in Toronto in the Canadian society. The study adds to the housing career literature by capturing the sequence of dwelling that immigrants occupy throughout their life course in both the country of origin and destination country.     

Microregional fragmentation in a Swedish county

This study of the county of V?sterbotten in northern Sweden reveals significant differences in socio-economic conditions between populations living in different residential environments. A cluster analysis was performed in order to classify the nearly 500 microregions into a manageable number of groups with distinctive profiles. A seven-cluster solution contains groups ranging from remote and sparsely populated areas with poor socio- economic conditions and a large proportion of elderly to the most prosperous residential environments within the major centers. Besides high disposable incomes, the relatively wealthy areas also show high educational levels and better-than-average health status. In this way the county could be broken down into a mosaic of local housing environments with very different prerequisites for consumption and economic development. Increasingly, we find socio-economic marginality problems even within densely populated regions. The complex and dispersed pattern of disadvantaged and underprivileged residential areas all over V?sterbotten indicates the difficulty in treating counties and municipalities as homogeneous regions. Our findings may have major implications for regional planning and regional policy. Received: 17 August 1997 / Accepted: 31 July 2000     

Innovative housing practices involving immigrants: the case of self-building in Italy

This article presents self-building projects and policy in Italy and discusses their potential to respond to housing needs in contemporary cities. It first analyzes a specific regional policy designed to promote access to housing for social groups excluded from the housing market and at the same time to foster integration between Italian and immigrant families. Secondly, it looks at the development and implementation of two self-building projects, one within the framework of the regional policy and one outside it. Our aim is to provide an assessment of the related policy and the practices in terms of institutional and social innovation.