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    Urban austerity and activism: direct action against neoliberal housing policies


    Lima, Valesca (2019) Urban austerity and activism: direct action against neoliberal housing policies. Housing Studies, 36 (2). pp. 258-277. ISSN 0267-3037

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    Abstract

    The struggle for affordable housing reflects the widespread structural tensions that exist between property markets and the provision of housing. Recent years have seen frequent protests that have highlighted problems in the Irish housing sector, along with the emergence of various housing movements, especially in Dublin, where the lack of affordable housing is severe. This paper argues that these campaigns have contributed to the increased public debate on commodified housing models, signalling a strong demand for a coherent and inclusive national housing policy in Ireland. In particular, I examine the activities of the Home Sweet Home movement (HSH), a collective organization of housing activists that occupied the Apollo House building in Dublin’s inner city in 2016–2017. This movement challenged private housing market solutions and the central role played by financialisation in economic and social life. Whilst considering that Ireland is suffering a housing crisis which cannot be easily solved, this paper combines a critical analysis of housing movements that resist neoliberal housing models, the HSH action in this context, and the challenges involved in changing the government’s approach to housing.
    Item Type: Article
    Additional Information: This is the accepted version of the published article which is available at: Valesca Lima (2021) Urban austerity and activism: direct action against neoliberal housing policies, Housing Studies, 36:2, 258-277, DOI: 10.1080/02673037.2019.1697800
    Keywords: Urban austerity; activism; direct action; neoliberal housing policies;
    Academic Unit: Faculty of Social Sciences > Sociology
    Item ID: 14112
    Identification Number: 10.1080/02673037.2019.1697800
    Depositing User: Valesca Lima
    Date Deposited: 02 Mar 2021 15:28
    Journal or Publication Title: Housing Studies
    Publisher: Taylor & Francis (Routledge)
    Refereed: Yes
    Related URLs:
    URI: https://mural.maynoothuniversity.ie/id/eprint/14112
    Use Licence: This item is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike Licence (CC BY-NC-SA). Details of this licence are available here

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