 Theorizing the links between precarious housing and homelessness: effects of territorial stigmatization and micro-spatial polarizationJan Weckwerth Chapter 7 in Homelessness in Affluent Societies, 2026, pp 113-130 from Edward Elgar Publishing Abstract: This chapter investigates the role of territorial stigmatization in shaping the transition from precarious housing into homelessness (and vice versa), drawing on a case study of three precarious housing complexes in the medium-sized university town, Göttingen (Germany). Through qualitative interviews with municipal officials, social workers, (former) residents, and individuals experiencing homelessness, the analysis traces how the interplay of address-based discrimination, specific institutional neglect, and internalized stigma reinforce exclusion and limit pathways to better housing conditions. These buildings function as liminal spaces just above homelessness – simultaneously containing those excluded from the regular housing market and exposing them to further social and spatial degradation. The study contributes to debates on urban marginality and highlights the importance of recognizing territorial stigma as an additional driver of housing precarity and homelessness. Keywords: Homelessness; Precarious Housing; Territorial Stigmatization; Micro-Spatial Polarization; Exclusion; Urban Segregation (search for similar items in EconPapers) Downloads: (external link) Related works: Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:elg:eechap:24378_7 Ordering information: This item can be ordered from Access Statistics for this chapter More chapters in Chapters from Edward Elgar Publishing |
Is your work missing from RePEc? Here is how to contribute.
Questions or problems? Check the EconPapers FAQ or send mail to .
EconPapers is hosted by the
School of Business at Örebro University.