Redefining the housing challenges in Turkey: an Urban planning perspective

Abstract

The Global Financial Crisis of 2007–2008 resulted in falling house prices, declining construction activity, and deteriorating affordability in the countries affected by the crisis. The Turkish housing markets reacted differently from their European counterparts due to Turkey’s recently developed mortgage finance system, unvaried mortgage finance products, less reliance on mortgage finance in housing transactions, and governmental support for construction. Particularly over the last 15 years, the country has achieved high levels of housing output. Despite this performance in housing production, the housing problem in Turkish cities has long been considered as a quantitative deficiency by subsequent governments. This study argues that increasing the quantity of the housing stock is no longer the major housing challenge in Turkey. Instead, the problem involves supply management under the current conditions of the housing markets. From the urban and regional planning point of view, there is a need to redefine the housing problem(s) of the country concerning housing production levels across the country, housing affordability among different household groups and in different regions, tenure composition, and safety and quality of life in housing and living environments.