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Public, Private, or In-Between? The Legitimacy of Social Enterprises in the Housing Market

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2026

Anita Blessing
Anita Blessing*
Affiliation:
Centre for Urban Studies, University of Amsterdam, Plantage Muidergracht 14, 1018 TV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
*
e-mail: A.P.Blessing@uva.nl
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Abstract

Social housing in Western welfare states has undergone change over recent decades, characterised by greater reliance on private actors, market mechanisms and commercial capital. Within housing research, this shift has been described as a linear ‘migration from the public sector towards the private market’, and conceptualised as ‘modernisation’. While empirical change calls for conceptual renewal, the labels we apply to processes of change may limit or enhance potential to understand them. This paper explores the problem of conceptualising change in social housing, focusing on a key facilitator of market-based reforms: the mobilisation of private not-for-profit housing associations as social enterprises in the housing market. It explores their changing roles in English and Dutch housing provision, tracking state policy shifts and debate over their organisational legitimacy for insights into their emergence and trajectories. Contrary to linear ‘modernisation’, findings suggest cyclical movement. Over time, aspects of the work and identity of housing associations shift between public and private domains.

Résumé

Résumé

Le logement social dans les états providence occidentaux a fait l’objet d’une évolution au cours des récentes décennies, se caractérisant par un recours accru aux intervenants privés, aux mécanismes du marché ainsi qu’au capital commercial. Au sein de la recherche sur le logement, cette mutation a été décrite comme une « migration linéaire du secteur public vers le marché privé » , et conceptualisée à titre de « modernisation » . Si le changement empirique impose un renouveau conceptuel, les désignations que nous attribuons aux processus de changement sont susceptibles de limiter ou d’optimiser le potentiel pour les comprendre. Cet article s’intéresse au problème de la conceptualisation du changement dans le secteur du logement social, en s’attachant particulièrement à un élément facilitateur clé des réformes basées sur le marché, à savoir la mobilisation des associations d’aide au logement, privées et sans but lucratif en tant qu’entreprises sociales au sein du marché du logement. Les transformations de leurs rôles en matière d’attribution de logement en Angleterre et aux Pays-Bas, sont analysées par une étude des variations quant aux politiques des états et du débat portant sur leur légitimité organisationnelle afin de recueillir des éléments sur leur émergence et leurs trajectoires. Contrairement à la « modernisation » linéaire, les conclusions indiquent un mouvement cyclique. Au cours du temps, les aspects du travail et de l’identité des associations d’aide au logement alternent entre les secteurs public et privé.

Zusammenfassung

Zusammenfassung

Das soziale Wohnungswesen in westlichen Sozialstaaten unterlag in den letzten Jahrzehnten Veränderungen, die im Einzelnen durch eine größere Abhängigkeit von privaten Akteuren, Marktmechanismen und kommerziellem Kapital gekennzeichnet sind. In Forschungen zum Wohnungswesen wird diese Veränderung als eine lineare „Migration vom öffentlichen Sektor in Richtung des privaten Marktes“beschrieben und als „Modernisierung“konzeptualisiert. Eine empirische Veränderung verlangt eine begriffliche Erneuerung; doch können die Bezeichnungen für Änderungsprozesse das Verständnis entweder einschränken oder fördern. Dieser Beitrag untersucht das Problem der Konzeptualisierung der Veränderungen im sozialen Wohnungswesen und konzentriert sich dabei auf einen entscheidenden Antriebsfaktor für marktbasierte Reformen: die Mobilisierung privater gemeinnütziger Wohnungsbaugesellschaften als Sozialunternehmen auf dem Wohnungsmarkt. Der Beitrag erforscht ihre sich wandelnden Funktionen in der Wohnraumbereitstellung in England und den Niederlanden, wobei die Änderungen in der staatlichen Politik verfolgt und ihre organisationale Legitimität diskutiert werden, um Einblicke in ihre Entwicklung und ihren Bewegungsverlauf zu verschaffen. Im Gegensatz zu einer linearen „Modernisierung“weisen die Ergebnisse auf eine zyklische Bewegung hin. Aspekte der Arbeit und Identität der Wohnungsbaugesellschaften wechseln im Laufe der Zeit zwischen den öffentlichen und privaten Bereichen.

Resumen

Resumen

La vivienda social en los estados del bienestar occidentales ha sufrido cambios a lo largo de las últimas décadas, caracterizados por una mayor confianza en actores privados, mecanismos de mercado y capital comercial. Dentro de la investigación sobre vivienda, este cambio ha sido descrito como una “migración lineal desde el sector público hacia el mercado privado”, y se ha conceptualizado como “modernización”. Aunque el cambio empírico exige renovación conceptual, las etiquetas que aplicamos a los procesos de cambio pueden limitar o destacar el potencial para comprenderlos. El presente documento explora el problema del cambio conceptualizante en la vivienda social, centrándose en un facilitador clave de reformas basadas en el mercado: la movilización de cooperativas privadas de viviendas sin ánimo de lucro como empresas sociales en el mercado de la vivienda. Explora sus papeles cambiantes en la provisión de viviendas inglesas y holandesas, siguiendo el rastro de los cambios de la política estatal y el debate sobre su legitimidad organizativa en busca de percepciones sobre su surgimiento y trayectorias. Contrarios a la “modernización” lineal, los hallazgos sugieren un movimiento cíclico. Con el tiempo, aspectos del trabajo e identidad de las cooperativas de viviendas cambian entre dominios público y privado.

摘要

摘要

最近数十年,西方福利国家的社会住房经历了巨大变化,特点是更加依赖于私人承包商、市场机制和商业资本。在住房研究内,本转变被描述为“从公共领域线性迁移到私有市场”,同时概念化为“现代化”。尽管经验性变化呼吁进行概念更新,但是我们应用到变化流程的标签可能限制或增强了解他们的潜能。本文探讨了社会住房概念化变化的问题,专注于基于市场改革的关键促进因素:促进私有非营利住房协会为住房市场的社会企业。其中探讨了它们在英国和荷兰住房供应中扮演的不断变化的角色,跟踪国家政策转变并讨论了它们崛起和发展内幕的组织合法性。与线性“现代化”相反的是,调查结果建议周期性运动。随着时间的变化,住房协会的工作和身份将在公共和私有领域之间转换。

要約

要約

西側の福祉国家における公営住宅は民間の関係者、市場メカニズム、商業資本への多大な依存が特徴で、最近十年にわたって変化してきた。住宅研究においては、線形の「個人取引への公共部門からの移住」と評され、「近代化」として概念化されている。経験的に概念の変更を必要としているが、変更のプロセスに適用するラベルは理解の可能性を制限するか、もしくは強化する可能性がある。本論文では、住宅市場の社会的企業としての個人の非営利住宅建築組合の動員のような市場に基づいた改革の重要な促進者に注目して、社会住宅の変化を概念化する問題を調査する。そして英国とオランダの住宅提供における変化の役割を調査する。国策の変化、参入と経路に関する洞察に対する組織的な合法性について議論する。線形の「近代化」に反して、調査結果は循環的運動を示唆している。時間とともに、住宅建築組合の実務は官民の領域において変化している。

ملخص

ملخص

شهد الإسكان الإجتماعي في الحكومات الغربية التي تحمي رفاهية مواطنيها تغييرا˝ على مدى العقود الأخيرة، التي تتميز بزيادة الإعتماد على القطاعات الخاصة، وآليات السوق ورأس المال التجاري. في أبحاث الإسكان، تم وصف هذا التحول بمثابة ‘هجرة منتظمة من القطاع العام نحو سوق القطاع الخاص’، ويمكننا تشكيل تصور ‘كالتحديث’. بينما التغير التجريبي يدعو إلى تجديد المفاهيم العقلية، التسميات التي نطبقها على عمليات التغيير قد تحد أو تعزز إحتمال فهمها. يفحص هذا البحث مشكلة وضع تصور للتغيير في الإسكان الإجتماعي، مع التركيز على المسهل الرئيسي من الإصلاحات القائمة على السوق: تعبئة جمعيات الإسكان الغير هادفة للربح الخاصة والمؤسسات الإجتماعية في سوق الإسكان. فحص الأدوار المتغيرة في شرط السكن الإنجليزي والهولندي، تتبع تحولات سياسة الدولة والجدل حول شرعيتها التنظيمية لظهور نظرة ثاقبة ومسارات. خلافا ‘للتحديث المنتظم’، النتائج تشير الى حركة دورية. مع مرور الوقت، جوانب العمل وهوية جمعيات الإسكان تتحول بين المجالات العامة والخاصة.

Keywords

Social enterpriseSocial housingConcept developmentEnglandThe Netherlands

Information

Type
Original Paper
Information
Voluntas: International Journal of Voluntary and Nonprofit Organizations , Volume 26 , Issue 1 , February 2015 , pp. 198 - 221
Copyright
Copyright © International Society for Third-Sector Research and The Johns Hopkins University 2013

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