Velferdsstatens boligtilbudVelferdsstatens boligtilbud

Norwegian municipalities rent out housing to disadvantaged individuals who cannot find suitable accommodation in the private market. The municipal social rental sector is one of the last safety nets of the welfare state and contributes to the housing policy goal that everyone should live "well and safely." Although this sector constitutes a relatively small portion of the housing stock, it fulfills many important societal functions. It provides homes for vulnerable groups, serves as a platform for upbringing and integration, and is a housing policy instrument. The municipal rental sector faces challenges related to substance abuse, violence, and living environments unsuitable for children. Additionally, municipalities struggle to procure new housing and maintain the existing stock. This is particularly serious in a situation characterized by rising rental prices and a shortage of rental housing for various low-income groups. Despite its many societal functions and obvious challenges, the municipal rental sector is almost invisible in the research literature on the Norwegian welfare state and is rarely mentioned in policy documents. The ambition behind this book is therefore to convey new knowledge both to researchers and practitioners working with issues related to municipal housing, and to researchers and other interested parties who do not regularly engage with the topic. The authors examine social rental housing from various perspectives and employ diverse qualitative and quantitative social science methods. The authors analyze the municipal rental sector based on the experiences of municipal employees, the perspectives of residents, and quantitative analyses of new administrative register data. Overall, the book paints a nuanced picture of the variations within the municipal rental sector, complementing the existing research literature.