Most medium and large-size cities have been experiencing an acute housing crisis since, at least, the 2008 great financial crisis, although issues of housing unaffordability, discrimination, poor construction and maintenance, overcrowding, segregated urban location, home evictions, forcible displacement, and homelessness, to name a few, may be traced back to the origins of capitalism. Contemporary grassroots housing activism, movements, protests and organising face the housing crisis in different ways, according to their significant contexts and the development of their contentious interactions with their opponents. In this presentation I first introduce an analytical framework to understand housing activism. Secondly, I distinguish types of activist-research in the realm of housing. The third part will identify the main challenges, obstacles and opportunities for housing activists, based on experiences from Spain and other European countries. In particular, I will focus on cases such as squatting, anti-eviction and tenants’ movements.
Miguel A. Martínez is a Professor of Sociology, especially Housing and Urban Sociology, at the Institute for Housing and Urban Research at Uppsala University. His research mainly focuses on the analysis of urban movements and activism, particularly participatory processes related to urban planning, housing policies, socio-spatial segregation, the use of public spaces, sustainable mobility, local governance, and gentrification. His recent publication (2024) is titled “Grassroots Struggles Challenging Housing Financialization in Spain.”