Volume 4 / Issue 1 and 2 / (2020)

Permanent URI for this collection

https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14235/1762

Browse

Browsing Volume 4 / Issue 1 and 2 / (2020) by Subject "housing"

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
  • Thumbnail Image
    ItemOpen Access
    Human dignity: Is there a place for it in planning?
    (AESOP, 2020) Davy, Benjamin
    Although human dignity has caught the attention of scholars in many different fields, planners remain unresponsive. Three reasons may be given for planners’ neglect of human dignity: (1)  so far, nobody has inspired planners to cherish human dignity as a planning value or goal; (2)  planners respect and protect human dignity, but do not use the term; (3)  planners distrust values that are not too complex for laypersons. Two cases illustrate the possible consequences of ‘planning for dignity’ – the case of the knitting ladies of Blikkiesdorp (Cape Town), and the poor door controversy of 2014. The most important conclusions are that planners, in order to align their plans with human dignity (or ubuntu), must co-produce their selves within local communities affected by their plans. Moreover, planners must recognize the tension that exists between social justice and human dignity: A plan that is socially just can still be humiliating.
  • Thumbnail Image
    ItemOpen Access
    Stuck in the middle: The transition from shelter to housing for refugees in Belgium
    (AESOP, 2020) Wyckaert, Elizabeth; Leinfelder, Hans; De Decker, Pascal
    Given the increasing number of people seeking refuge in Belgium and across Europe more broadly, it is essential that governments assume responsibility for the integration of refugees into society. An essential aspect of this process is the provision of a durable path from shelter to housing. Choosing a place of residence, and the success in obtaining suitable housing conditions, are factors that significantly shape the integration process. In the context of refugee settlement in Belgium, however, asylum and migration policies to date have been predominantly focused on tackling temporary crises with little consideration paid to long-term integration and housing strategies. Due to separated policy competences (reception at the federal policy level, and housing at the regional level), and the absence of a sense of responsibility from both Flemish (regional) and federal government, voluntary organisations have developed significant roles at the local level in the transition from shelter to housing, and in further housing needs of recognised refugees. Achieving this transition is impeded by capacity problems, discrimination, lack of local social networks, and limited timeframes. Using the concept of path dependency as a theoretical starting point, this article employs qualitative methods to highlight the impact of both asylum policies and the spatial characteristics of reception centres on transitions towards more permanent housing. Recommendations for refugee accommodation are made to enhance the transition from shelter to housing. Finally, it addresses alternative housing projects that are conducive to social integration as well as to the transition of refugees to the regular housing market.