Struggles against financialisation of housing in Lisbon: The case of Habita

Abstract

Social movements can seek to challenge the variety of housing financialisation processes in different ways. Focussing on the case of the Habita association, we examine strategies to contest housing financialisation, which has unfolded through different spatiotemporal dynamics fostered by the State, as well as outcomes of this social mobilisation in Portugal. We emphasise the importance of mixing ‘invited’ strategies with ‘ínvented’ strategies, highlighting, simultaneously, the significance of the economic and political context as the stage where the struggles and their opportunities develop. Success is always situated within a context. In this sense, the focus on the reputational pressure of some actors of the state is identified as a way of obtaining results under certain conditions. Our analysis shows that despite facing an enormous imbalance of power concerning actors promoting housing financialisation, housing movements can be important mobilisers and question the dominant paths, interfering with state policies and financialisation processes and showcasing the need for and possibility of building alternatives to the financialisation and commodification of housing.