The Effects of Changing Housing Policies on Urban Space and the Housing Problem in Turkey

Abstract

Housing is an important component of the urban economy. Housing has a physical dimension with the feature of being a residential and sheltered space; it has a social dimension with the feature of being the centre of family and friendship relationship; it has an economic dimension with the feature of being a bought and sold commodity. Economic and politic processes directly affect housing policies in all over the world. After World War II, all countries started to develop housing policies to solve the housing deficiency problem. Housing policies in Turkey also have shown differences in terms of presentation, financial models, legal infrastructure and housing typologies. This research focuses on the effects of the changing housing policies on urban spaces in Turkey from the Republican era up to the present. The housing market has become one of the basic economic sectors with government support, legal regulations and the increasing efficiency of housing investors in the process. The changing in housing policies lead to transform the meaning of housing as an investment tool and luxury consumer goods that create rent, prestige and social status. This paper also aims to argue the social, economic and physical problems caused by the construction-oriented economy in urban space in Turkey. A literature review method is used by gathering data and information from census data, written reports, and formal studies. In the research, it is highlighted that besides social, economic and physical problems on urban space, a construction-oriented economy brought on the agenda of housing problems. The housing problem in Turkey is not related to the housing production level; in contrast, the housing problem is based on the failure to produce habitable and affordable housing stock responding to the needs of different income groups. With the changing policies, housing ceased to be a quantitative problem in Turkey, turned into a qualitative and economic problem.