"Housing is a social and human right"

Miguel A. Martínez, Professor of Sociology

Can urban movements bring about socio-political change? Yes, according to IBF professor of sociology Miguel Martínez. With his research on urban housing activism, he examines what the movements' work has led to so far.

The lack of housing for low-income earners is a major and growing problem both in Sweden and abroad. The crisis situation in the housing market has given rise to housing activism and protests against the current order.

It is precisely towards these and other urban movements that Miguel Martinez has focused his research. For the past four years, he has been working at IBF with the goal of better understanding what results housing activism in his home country of Spain has led to so far.

“Some activism actually leads to changes in political decisions and in how democracy is exercised. There are examples of both short-term victories, such as stopping an eviction, and more long-term ones, such as getting legislation on housing construction passed,” says Miguel Martínez.

Before coming to Sweden, Miguel Martínez conducted similar research in Portugal, France, Hong Kong and Spain. Regardless of geographical location, urban housing movements seem to develop and change in step with the economic and social situation in society. The opponents of the movements also change over time: in the past it was property owners, today it is global investors who have become the main target of the activists.

– It is interesting to study why the movements change. Because while the movements change in step with the changes in society, the movements also produce social change themselves by influencing legislation and increasing solidarity between different affected groups, he says.

Miguel Martínez’s research focus is a result of both studies in sociology and political science and his personal commitment to social injustice as a participating activist in various movements, especially in Spain during the 2008 financial crisis.

– There was a mismatch between low wages and high housing prices, and people were evicted without any alternatives. This is still an unresolved problem. There have also been housing vacancies due to speculative investment, while a lack of regulation of the rental market has led to landlords having great power to set rents, he says.

But if at the end of the 2000s it was the financial crisis that defined the trends within the urban movements, the climate crisis has come to dominate in recent years.

– Now the pandemic has also created new movements that are about solidarity with people struggling to find jobs, with migrants and the poor. Especially in countries where restrictions have been harsh, says Miguel Martínez.

Housing shortage is an issue with many dimensions and it can differ greatly between rural and urban environments, between social classes and different countries. But the similarities are more, says Miguel Martinez.

– The movements that fight against this are also challenging the foundations of global capitalism. Housing is a social and human right and the question is how society can develop and solve this, he says.

What can Sweden learn from what you have seen in other countries?

– I think all countries can learn from each other. But learning is not the same as imitating. However, housing activism in Spain can tell us a lot about how speculative investment can destroy a lot and how to deal with the situation. It could happen here too.

Text: Anna Hedlund