Central State and Homelessness Policies in Sweden: New Ways of Governing

• While it is generally agreed that the state has withdrawn from direct intervention in housing policy in many European countries, this paper attempts to demonstrate that in Sweden the central state still exerts power over issues such as homelessness, though the way it exercises that power has taken new forms. Government by ‘discourse’, ‘projects’ and ‘non-decision’ has largely replaced more traditional forms of intervention by means of ‘legislation’, ‘regularization’ and ‘subventions’. The paper focuses on the central state’s approach to initiatives against homelessness, with special regard to its stance in the power relationship between those who control housing and those who lack it. Starting from a general understanding that homelessness is not a necessary feature of a modern nation, and that it would be possible for the central state to do away with it, my aim is to identify and discuss structures and processes that hinder its abolition

Ämnesord

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Sociologi -- Socialt arbete (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Sociology -- Social Work (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Homelessness policy

housing allocation

non-decision

project funding

discourse control

Publikations- och innehållstyp

ref (ämneskategori)

art (ämneskategori)