Subaltern housing policies: Accommodating migrant workers in wealthy Geneva

Area of Science:

• Urban Studies
• Sociology
• Housing Policy

Background:

• Accommodation centers built for 1950s-1980s guestworkers in Geneva remain inhabited.
• Current residents are precarious workers, undocumented individuals, and asylum seekers.
• The demand for flexible, low-skilled labor persists despite the end of seasonal work.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the historical evolution of housing and labor markets in Geneva.
• To identify who replaced the original seasonal guestworkers in housing and employment.
• To introduce and analyze the concept of 'Subaltern Housing Policies'.

Main Methods:

• Historical analysis of specific building trajectories.
• Examination of labor and housing market dynamics.
• Conceptual development of 'Subaltern Housing Policies'.

Main Results:

• Substandard housing persists for precarious populations.
• Public action produces and maintains housing below standard comfort and security levels.
• 'Subaltern' applies to housing conditions, policies, and occupants.

Conclusions:

• Subaltern Housing Policies link substandard housing production with marginalizing populations.
• This perpetuates a cycle of precarious living conditions and limited citizenship.
• The concept of 'Subaltern Housing Policies' offers a framework for understanding these dynamics.