Fundur fólksins 2023: Housing Policy for Everyone – how do we ensure more equal opportunities?

In line with the increasingly tight housing market, the availability of affordable housing has become a key focus in the housing policies of the Nordic countries. Public policy formulation states that new housing should be provided in different price ranges and rent categories with the aim of reaching a broader share of citizens, while promoting socially mixed neighbourhoods. At the same time, however, the position of middle- and low-income groups in the housing market seems to be getting worse, both in Iceland and in neighbouring Nordic countries. There is even talk of the "squeezed middle" in the housing market, where the middle class has now neither the resources for housing investment nor is it entitled to public support.

We will hear a presentation about the results of the research project "Strategic housing”, which examines housing policies in the Nordic countries with the aim of encouraging cities to develop more comprehensive and integrated housing policies. Anna Granath Hansson, an expert at Nordregio, will open the discussion with her presentation, after which a panel made up of experts, representatives from civil society and representatives of the public sector will transfer these results to the Icelandic context. In the discussions, we will not only consider equality in terms of availability, but also in terms of the quality of the housing available.

• Anna Granath Hansson, PhD in real estate and construction management and expert at Nordregio
• Guðmundur Hrafn Arngrímsson, chairman of the Tenants Union of Iceland
• Hildur Gunnarsdóttir, planning officer of the town of Hveragerðisbær

Conference Chair:

• Anna María Bogadóttir, architect, owner of Úrbanistan and associate professor at the Iceland University of the Arts.