Socioeconomics of Housing

The new Socioeconomics of Housing department was established in 2009 and continues in activities of the Socioeconomics of Housing team that was a part of the Economic sociology department since 2000. In the beginning, it focused on studying housing expenditures (housing consumption), but gradually its activity was extended to take in other housing research areas. Its main research activities now relate to both the social and the economic aspects of housing and thus include such diverse topics as housing attitudes, housing preferences, housing affordability, international comparisons of housing policy and social housing systems, and econometric simulations of policy reforms, like rent deregulation, the introduction of housing allowance and social housing, housing finance, housing market efficiency, and house price indices. The members of the department are regular participants in the international conference of the ENHR (European Network for Housing Research), and with the support of the Ministry for Regional Development they organised an international seminar on ‘Social Housing in Europe 2000’. In 2009, the department will take part in organisation of the ENHR conference in Prague.

Current projects:

• Social Inequalities and the Market Risks Following from Housing Consumption. The Real and Desirable Response of State Fiscal and Monetary Policies. (2009 – 2011, Ing. Mgr. Martin Lux)
• Regional Disparities in Availability and Affordability of Housing, their Socio-economic Consequences and Tools directed to Increase Availability and Affordability of Housing and Decrease the Regional Disparities. (2007 – 2011, Ing. Mgr. Martin Lux)

New publications:

• Lux M., P. Sunega, M. Mikeszová, T. Kostelecký. 2008. Standardy bydlení 2007/2008: Faktory vysokých cen vlastnického bydlení v Praze.  (Housing Standards 2007/2008: The Factors behind High House Prices in Prague.) Praha: Sociologický ústav AV ČR.
• Lux, M., P. Sunega. 2007. Housing allowances in the Czech Republic in comparative perspective. Pp. 239-264 in Kemp, P. (ed.). Housing Allowances in Comparative Perspective. Bristol: Policy Press.
• Lux, M., P. Sunega, M. Mikeszová, J. Večerník, F. Matyáš. 2006. Analýza opatření bytové politiky směřujících k podpoře flexibility práce v ČR. 1. díl – teoretický úvod. Analysis of housing policy measures aiming to support work flexibility in the Czech Republic. Part I – theoretical background.) Praha: Sociologický ústav AV ČR.
• Lux, M., P. Sunega, M. Mikeszová, J. Večerník, F. Matyáš. 2006. Analýza opatření bytové politiky směřujících k podpoře flexibility práce v ČR. 2. díl – výsledky empirických šetření. (Analysis of housing policy measures aiming to support work flexibility in the Czech Republic. Part II – empirical results.) Praha: Sociologický ústav AV ČR.