Remaking Housing Policy

Book excerpt: Breaking the country-specific boundaries of traditional housing policy books, Remaking Housing Policy is the first introductory housing policy textbook designed to be used by students all around the world. Starting from first principles, readers are guided through the objectives behind government housing policy interventions, the tools and mechanisms deployed and the outcomes of the policy decisions. A range of international case studies from Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas illustrate the book’s general principles and demonstrate how different regimes influence policy. The rise of the neo-classical discourse of market primacy in housing has left many countries with an inappropriate mix of state and market processes with major interventions that do not achieve what they were intended to do. Remaking Housing Policy goes back to basics to show what works and what doesn’t and how policy can be improved for the future. Remaking Housing Policy provides readers with a comprehensive introduction to the objectives and mechanisms of social housing. This innovative international textbook will be suitable for academics, housing students and those on related courses across geography, planning, property and urban studies.