Housing in Europe. New cooperative housing approaches and hints for developing countries

Housing is a basic human need and this is recognised in almost every country in Europe, Asia and America through various international conventions. The desire of every government and city administrators would be for people to enjoy decent and affordable housing. However, many problems still exists in almost all of these countries, though in different facets. While there are usually acute housing shortages and generally poor conditions in urban areas across many developing countries, the challenges in Europe are related to a wide range of factors other than chronic shortages. This study aims to make an assessment of the development of housing provision in mainly western European countries starting from the early 1900s. The methodological approach used was based to a very large extent on using secondary data to gain a deeper chronological understanding of evolution of housing problems in different periods and the approaches that were in turn applied. Empirical case studies were further carried out using case studies to explore the extent of conformity or deviation. Though the development of housing is closely tied to country- specific political and socio- economic history and characteristics, mostly there are common identifiable strands in contemporary cities across a wide range of countries. While initial housing development efforts were purely based on individual worker efforts, philanthropist initiatives with low state- involvement in the early 1900s, there was certain massive government participation by the turn of 1950 largely due to the impact of the two wars. Measures were usually directed to ensure enough dwellings in mass housing neighbourhoods were provided to house as many people as possible. Emphasis was hence on quantity. The socio- economic and demographic changes in contemporary European cities have shifted the focus in the housing discourse as new problems emerge and other issues that border on social cohesion, immigration flows and a generally ageing population amid the retrenchment in the welfare state which covers housing. The study finally concludes that amid these changes, the third- sector particularly new forms of housing cooperatives are still a valuable means to addressing some of these problems through integrated and innovative strategies to dealing with both socio-physical challenges. Some perspectives based on the cooperative housing approach are provided using Ghana as reference for developing countries.