Social costs and social housing

Social impacts and Social Costs (SCs) may be triggered by a diversity of events. Social Housing (SH) studies that analyse SCs are still scarce, and the specific analysis of SCs for different SH configurations, locals and their surroundings is therefore important to mitigate impacts caused by less than ideal projects and their use. An inductive method and brainstorming were applied to assess SC components. Results are in the form of a SC component organisation with details on urban, neighbourhood, housing and unit aspects and associated costs to provide a panorama of issues linked to these. Costs associated with subcomponents that cover mobility, productivity, neighbourhood and housing infrastructure, housing value, comfort and house or home transformations were identified. Further variables of subcomponents were also identified to compose potential costs. The feasibility of interventions, and a protocol to guide SC analysis are presented. The research contributes by elucidating SH production, avoiding negative social impacts, and guiding the implementation of continuous improvements of new projects and existing housing developments through participatory processes.