Is Housing a Human Right? : A qualitative study on gentrification processes and segregation in Halmstad

The implementation of the 2030 Agenda in Sweden has involved a reorganization of municipalities such as Halmstad through the creation of documents and strategic plans that serve as a guide to counteract the processes of gentrification and segregation. The Municipality of Halmstad is working to break the segregation, but the need to create an image of Halmstad as an attractive and interesting city to live and invest in does not consider a direct risk of creating further segregation through gentrification. Thus, the municipality fights segregation by targeting vulnerable risk areas without working simultaneously with voluntary segregation in the prosperous westernpart of the city by involving the entire city of Halmstad in this inclusion process. On the other hand, we see a low democratic participation by the poorest part of the city and more the participation of experts and private actors in making important decisions involving housing in Halmstad. We see a lack of trust on the part of citizens to political institutions and to authorities in general and this is a result of a deficiency that Fainstein calls justice, representation and equity