How to Apply the Capability Approach to Housing Policy? Concepts, Theories and Challenges

ABSTRACT

Housing has played a significant role in increasing inequality. It has been financialised and losing its human and social dimensions. A critical review of housing policy directions is needed to explore a new housing approach. This article revisits the underpinning perspectives of housing policy discussions through the lens of the capability approach. The capability approach is a normative evaluative approach to understanding poverty, well-being, and justice. It argues that policy should primarily focus on expanding individuals' capabilities instead of resources and utilities. From its perspective, understanding the sources and nature of capability deprivation and inequity is central to removing existing injustice in our society, and to re-establishing ethics at the centre of policy discussions. What implications for housing studies can we draw from the capability approach? The article presents a conceptual application of the capability approach to housing policy discussions, and concludes that a capability-oriented housing policy framework has an added value.

KEYWORDS:

• Housing policy
• capability approach
• well-being
• justice
• Amartya Sen

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank Marja Elsinga and Joris Hoekstra for their valuable comments and constant support. I would also like to thank Bo Bengtsson for his insightful advice, and David Clapham and Julie Lawson for their valuable comments that helped to improve this article. An earlier version was presented at the European Network for Housing Research Conference in Uppsala 2018. I also thank the participants of the Workshop on Housing and Theory at the conference for fruitful discussions.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.