The importance of affordable housing in terms of its definition, changing image and reframing in society

Abstract

This literature review explores the complex landscape of affordable housing, its international significance and policy implications. The lack of a clear distinction between affordable and social housing, coupled with challenges in measuring affordability, underlines the need for tailored policy assessments and indicators. The multifaceted issues surrounding affordable housing, including quality, sustainability, and barriers to access, are examined with a focus on Germany.

This review focuses on reframing affordable rental housing as a catalyst for social inclusion and economic growth and provides an academic contribution by examining the economic and psychological perspectives. The analytical framework addresses key research questions regarding definitions, levels of acceptance and potential strategies to counter stigmatisation. The review also explores the nuanced nature of the affordable housing problem, highlighting its historical complexity and the lack of a single metric for assessment. It also examines efforts to reframe the stigmatisation associated with affordable housing, emphasising the role of communication strategies.

It concludes with an examination of German policy programmes aimed at addressing housing affordability, mark the importance of subsidy programmes and the symbiotic relationship between investors and public authorities.