Gatekeepers of the Undesired? A systematic review on local housing policy and the settlement of vulnerable groups
The right to housing is a key principle in international human rights law, meant to apply to everyone. However, it is often less accessible to vulnerable groups, especially immigrants. This study examines how local housing policies can contribute to “gatekeeping”—an underexplored aspect in research. We argue that municipalities may use exclusionary policies as a way to control their territories by limiting access for vulnerable groups. We conducted a systematic review of international academic literature, using three types of bibliometric analysis. First, statistical analysis reveals the field’s growth and how it is characterized by publications often combining an impressive set of data and methods. Second, the material is explored through network analysis, emphasizing how a few important journals lead the distribution of knowledge. Finally, a thematic analysis highlights consistency in the detrimental effects of exclusionary policies across different contexts. The main themes are as follows:
- Explicit exclusionary policies for migrants
- Residential and ethnic (de)segregation
- Economic aspects of housing and housing policy
- Municipal housing policies, bottom-up initiatives and governance
- Housing and internal migration in China
Our statistical analysis shows that this research field is expanding, with a few key journals leading the way. These publications often combine various types of data and methods. Notably, journals in the broader field of geography play a particularly significant role. This suggests that it’s not social sciences as a whole that dominate, but rather geographic perspectives within social science, often focusing on urban and housing studies. The strong connections between references in these areas highlight this trend.
Our thematic analysis highlights consistency in the detrimental effects of planned or unintended exclusionary policies across different geographical contexts and housing regimes. Thus, even if our review scopes across very different housing markets and regimes, gatekeeping mechanisms are present with similar consequences. The analysis underscores the conflict between individual responsibilities and societal obligations, where current policies tend to place substantial burdens on the individual. The material also conveys how local governments employ exclusionary practices as gatekeeping mechanisms, regulated by legal frameworks, disproportionately affecting future population regulation. These policies, diverging from universal welfare provisions, introduce additional hurdles for vulnerable groups, exacerbating housing challenges. A distinction between planned excluding practices and policies with such unintended effects are also evident. The analysis underscores the conflict between individual responsibilities and societal obligations, where current policies tend to place substantial burdens on the individual to find and become housed, although being aware of the limitations of the local housing options for vulnerable groups
Our analysis not only highlights the key insights from the reviewed literature but also reveals critical gaps that demand attention.
Discrimination Mechanisms: There is a striking lack of studies directly addressing overt discrimination based on visible attributes. When this issue is mentioned, it’s often framed as an indirect outcome of how grassroots bureaucrats interpret policies, rather than being tackled head-on.
Geographical Gaps: Research from regions like Asia (outside of China), South America, and Africa is notably scarce, leaving significant parts of the world underexplored.
Political Dimensions: The political aspects of local policymaking remain largely overlooked. For example, future studies could delve into how housing production and zoning policies shape the gatekeeping of communities. Similarly, the role of partisan motives in driving exclusionary housing policies has received little attention.
These gaps present exciting opportunities for future research to broaden the understanding of local housing policies and their impact on vulnerable groups. Addressing these issues could lead to a deeper, more comprehensive view of how gatekeeping operates across different contexts.
About the Authors:
Gustav Lidén, Associate Professor, Mid Sweden University.
Emma Holmqvist, Researcher, Uppsala University,
Joel Jacobsson, Lecturer, Mid Sweden University.
Kristoffer Jutvik, Assistant Professor, Linköping University,
Jon Nyhlén, Associate Professor, Stockholm University.