Integration Policies at the Local Level: Housing Policies for Migrants

Both European and American cities, in particular major cities with strong and diversified economies, attract immigrants from all over the world. The segregation of migrants within a city as well as the affordability and quality of housing for migrants are central issues that affect the quality of life in general. Finding a place to live is a crucial aspect of the process of successful structural integration of migrants in host societies besides finding employment and gaining access to good education. On the one hand, the housing conditions and the spatial distribution patterns of migrants in a city can be considered important indicators for the status quo of the structural integration in the receiving society; on the other hand, housing policies are an important part of overall social policy at the local level with a strong impact on future processes of integration among migrants and their descendants.

The Institute for Urban and Regional Research invited prominent scholars from the United States and from throughout Europe to reflect the present situation concerning immigration, the typical housing conditions for migrants and the public policies of local authorities on housing. Behind prejudices it became obvious that local policies can learn from each other. With the establishment of Europe as a research area in which researchers, scientific knowledge and technology circulate freely the transatlantic dialogue is becoming weaker and the cooperation within Europe stronger. This observation turned out as an additional motivation to signal that the Europe-US dialogue is useful and should continue. The current edition makes a contribution to this mutual learning process.