Alternative Housing Finance Models: Cooperative and Microfinance Approaches Countering Financialization, Inequality, and Unsustainability

Authors : Yaşam Demir

Pages : 354-382

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Publication Date : 2025-12-29

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :This study addresses three interconnected challenges exacerbated by the financialization of housing systems: declining affordability, deepening intergenerational inequality, and environmental unsustainability. Rather than approaching these crises in isolation, the paper adopts a unified analytical perspective to evaluate how cooperative housing and microfinance-based financing models can contribute to more equitable, inclusive, and climate-conscious housing systems. Drawing on comparative case studies and policy literature, it assesses each model\\\'s potential to enhance financial access, democratize ownership, and support sustainable construction and tenure. The analysis highlights institutional conditions and policy instruments such as social guarantees, digital finance tools, and blended funding strategies that enable the scalability and resilience of these models. Based on these findings, the study proposes a hybrid framework integrating community governance, multi-dimensional impact metrics, and typologies of preventive, enabling, and corrective housing policies. While the study is exploratory in scope, it offers a conceptual foundation and practical recommendations for aligning housing finance with broader goals of social justice and sustainability. By integrating these dimensions, the paper aims to reframe housing finance as a tool for long-term social investment, equity, and sustainability, repositioning housing as a public good rather than a speculative asset, particularly in contexts like Türkiye.
Keywords : konutun finansallaşması, kooperatif konut, konut mikrofinansı, hibrit konut finansmanı, konut erişilebilirliği, kuşaklararası eşitlik, sürdürülebilirlik, kapsayıcı konut

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