Bo Bengtsson
Taylor & Francis
2024
The changing role of cooperatives in the Swedish housing regime - a path dependence analysis š Context This article, authored by Bo Bengtsson, was published in March 2024 in Housing Studies, a reputable journal that focuses on housing policy, practice, and research. It delves into the historical development of cooperative housing in Sweden from a path dependence perspective, highlighting the significance of this sector, which constitutes approximately 25% of the total housing stock in the country. š Key Findings The article identifies three critical junctures that have significantly influenced the path of cooperative housing in Sweden: 1. The Tenant-Ownership Act of 1930: This legislation established tenant-ownership as a distinct form of housing tenure, laying the groundwork for future developments in the sector. 2. Post-WWII Universal Housing Regime: The introduction of this regime positioned cooperative housing as a central player in the Swedish housing landscape, ensuring its integration into broader housing policies. 3. Deregulation in 1968-1969: This period marked a shift towards marketization, which allowed for further expansion of the cooperative sector. At each juncture, national politicians, particularly from the Social Democrats, and leaders of cooperative organizations were the primary change agents, while the influence of cooperative members was relatively limited compared to similar movements in Norway. š Mechanisms of Change The study discusses how the mechanisms of efficiency, legitimacy, and power operated throughout these reforms, contributing to a path-dependent trajectory. The long-term implications of these reforms were more profound than initially anticipated: - The 1930 Act provided stability to cooperative housing. - The reforms of the 1940s solidified cooperatives' central role within the universal housing framework. - The 1968 deregulation facilitated the marketization of the housing sector. š Evolution of the Cooperative Sector Since the 1930s, the cooperative housing sector has consistently grown, now accounting for 25% of Sweden's housing stock. Over time, its role has evolved from a social movement aimed at providing affordable housing to a key component of the national housing regime, and more recently, a marketized form of tenure. āļø Fragility of Cooperative Housing The author posits that the Swedish model of social housing through cooperatives exhibits fragility due to conflicting ownership and socio-political objectives. Once marketization commenced, reversing the trend proved challenging. š Applicability of the Analysis The path dependence framework utilized in this analysis may offer valuable insights into cooperative housing development in other countries, focusing on critical junctures, key actors, and mechanisms of change.
Title: The changing role of cooperatives in the Swedish housing regime - a path dependence analysis
Author: Bo Bengtsson
Published: March 2024 in Housing Studies
Context: This article analyzes the historical development of cooperative housing in Sweden using a path dependence perspective. Sweden has an unusually large cooperative housing sector, accounting for about 25% of the total housing stock. The author aims to explain how this sector developed over time and changed its role within Sweden's universal housing regime.
Key Findings:
- The article identifies three critical junctures that shaped the trajectory of cooperative housing in Sweden:
- At each critical juncture, the main actors driving change were national politicians (especially Social Democrats) and leaders of cooperative organizations. Cooperative members and potential members played a limited role, in contrast to similar reforms in Norway.
- The mechanisms of efficiency, legitimacy and power were at work in all three reforms, contributing to path dependence.
- The long-term consequences of these reforms were more far-reaching than anticipated by actors at the time:
- The 1930 Act guaranteed long-term stability of cooperative housing
- The 1940s reforms gave cooperatives a central role in the universal housing regime
- The 1968 deregulation led to marketization of the sector
- The cooperative sector has expanded steadily since the 1930s, reaching 25% of the housing stock today. However, its role has changed from a social movement providing decent housing to members, to an important part of the national housing regime, and more recently to a marketized tenure form.
- The author argues that the Swedish experience shows how a system of social housing based on cooperatives can be fragile due to tensions between ownership and socio-political goals. The marketization process proved difficult to reverse once started.
- The path dependence framework used to analyze the Swedish case could be fruitfully applied to study cooperative housing development in other countries, examining critical junctures, key actors, and mechanisms of change.
a) The Tenant-Ownership Act of 1930, which established tenant-ownership as a distinct housing tenure.
b) The introduction of Sweden's universal housing regime after WWII, which gave cooperative housing a central role in housing provision.
c) The deregulation of the cooperative tenure in 1968-1969, which opened the path to marketization and further expansion.
The article contributes to understanding how cooperative housing developed in Sweden through a path dependence lens, and suggests this approach could yield insights if applied to other national contexts.