Justice in local planning strategies for refugees’ housing? Narratives on sustainable housing in Sweden

Abstract

Housing for refugees is a contested issue within and between European nations. Sweden, like other nations, struggle to meet the needs for adequate housing and to maintain the prerequisites for integration. Drawing on qualitative interviews with local politicians, officials and the civil society, this study critically investigates municipal housing integration strategies and related spatial planning strategies of a medium-sized Swedish municipality. In this paper we argue for the importance of understanding and questioning different equality regimes employed in planning at different times and contexts. We show how views on justice have consequences for how policy makers view redistribution of resources, thus, how they prioritize investments in housing, but also how social sustainability is perceived and articulated.