Towards Circular Social Housing: An Exploration of Practices, Barriers, and Enablers

Sultan Çetin, Vincent Gruis and Ad Straub
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Sultan Çetin: Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment, Delft University of Technology, 2628 BL Delft, The Netherlands
Vincent Gruis: Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment, Delft University of Technology, 2628 BL Delft, The Netherlands
Ad Straub: Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment, Delft University of Technology, 2628 BL Delft, The Netherlands

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 4, 1-23

Abstract: The concept of Circular Economy (CE) and its application in the built environment is an emerging research field. Scholars approach CE from various perspectives covering a wide range of topics from material innovation to city-scale application. However, there is little research on CE implementation in housing stock, particularly that which is managed or owned by the social housing organisations (SHOs) and which offers opportunities to generate circular flows of materials at the portfolio level. This research focuses on Dutch SHOs and uses the Delphi method to examine CE practices in their asset management, as well as the main barriers to and potential enablers of its uptake. The analysis of two iterative rounds of expert questioning indicates that Dutch SHOs are in the early experimental phase in CE implementation. From the results, it is evident that organisational, cultural, and financial barriers are the most pressing ones that hinder the wider adoption of CE in their asset management. Building on the panel input, this study suggests potential enablers to overcome these barriers, such as CE legislation, best practice case studies, commitment and support from the top management, and the creation of a clear business case.

Keywords: Circular Economy; social housing; Delphi method; barriers; enablers; practices; built environment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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