Social housing systems and welfare in Ireland and Portugal: a comparative analysis

Abstract

In this study, we analyse the significant changes in housing policies and social welfare in Portugal and Ireland. Acknowledging the transformation of housing into a commodity, which has led to significant changes in the provision of social housing to low-income families, we show how these two countries, with distinct welfare systems and different patterns of retrenchment, had similar housing trajectories and pressures after the 2008 economic crisis. Using a comparative approach, our analysis shows Ireland and Portugal are not necessarily converging towards the same policy but evidence does suggest that both countries are moving their housing policy further towards financialisation. These results contribute to the understanding of how neoliberal housing policy has focused on state retrenchment and how financialisation has shaped social housing provision.