Victims or Victors? the Effects of Forced Relocations on Housing Satisfaction in Dutch Cities

Abstract

Urban restructuring is changing the face of many Western European cities. Old, relatively cheap dwellings are being demolished and replaced by new, more expensive ones. The spatial effects of this process have been extensively studied, but little is known about the residents who are forced to relocate so that their dwellings can be demolished or updated. We therefore studied how satisfied forced movers are with their current housing situation, and what factors contribute to this. Using data from four Dutch cities, we found that most displaced residents were quite satisfied with their new dwellings and neighborhoods. However, those with low incomes and those from ethnic minority groups were less satisfied with their homes and neighborhoods. We can explain their lower level of neighborhood satisfaction by the fact that they move to less desirable neighborhoods—for example, neighborhoods with higher concentrations of ethnic minorities.

Older People in a Long-term Regeneration Neighbourhood. An Exploratory Panel Study of Ageing in Place in Hoogvliet, Rotterdam

“…The share of stayers reporting this outcome amounts to 43 per cent. The finding that housing renewal drives neighbourhood satisfaction is in line with other research in the Netherlands [38,39,47] and in the United Kingdom [27]. Further analyses (not shown here) indicate that there are no stayers who attribute perceived neighbourhood decline to restructuring efforts [22].…”

“…In fact, the reported outcomes provide a counter-narrative to the American (and to a lesser extent, European) narrative that is predominantly rooted in a displacement discourse in the context of large-scale gentrification and negative experiences with urban restructuring [17,18,[27][28][29][35][36][37]. While it may not be possible to provide older residents of restructuring target areas in other developed countries with similar opportunities -particularly in light of cutbacks in funding on both sides of the Atlantic -this particular Dutch example supports a plea for more choices for residents in such areas [39]. Our findings have implications for urban restructuring policies in the USA, in particular 'Choice Neighborhoods', the successor of the well-known HOPE VI Program [48].…”

“…Analysis of the strategic plan underlying the large-scale restructuring that started in 1999, reveals that the local government and housing associations were keen on minimizing the potential negative impacts of the restructuring on the well-being of older people [45]. First of all, older residents who were relocated to other social housing not only received a formal compensation for moving costs (see [38,39]), but also received discounts on standard rents that would be charged to new residents from outside Hoogvliet. This strategy aimed to increase the affordability of new dwellings and to minimize financial stress for older movers.…”

“…This branch of studies seems to dominate the debate on the presumably unfavourable position of older people in urban restructuring. This framing occurs despite some evidence of compensation and positive outcomes for older people's housing situation, especially when they were able to move to new (senior) housing at reduced social rents within or close to the restructuring area [38,39]. Other research has also shown that older people express a strong attachment to their ability to make decisions about where to live, rather than someone telling them to move because of various reasons [33,40].…”

Behavioural insights into housing relocation decisions: The effects of the Beijing Olympics

“…First of all, the decisions and implications involved in relocation should be studied according to long-term residential trajectory and by considering past residential trajectories and housing pathways (Clapham, 2002;Lelevrier, 2013;Stovel & Bolan, 2004). Secondly, displaced residents react to regeneration context and regulations differently by adopting different choice processes and strategies (Briggs, Popkin, & Goering, 2010;Posthumus, Bolt, & van Kempen, 2014;Posthumus & Kleinhans, 2014). Therefore, it is important to study all stages involved in relocation decision process, and to understand how stakeholders react to regeneration programmes.…”