All of us want to feel secure in our homes and neighbourhoods. The role of housing providers in promoting safety was a key topic at our recent Conference and General Assembly in Norrköping, Sweden. We discussed different approaches to tackle violence and insecurity, saw first-hand how an area has been transformed through learning, sports and culture, and examined how place branding can improve the reputation of stigmatised neighbourhoods.
Role models tackling honour-based violence
“Young men often don’t talk about their feelings. I don’t judge them for whatever they say – I am open when they talk.” In an inspiring keynote, Rodin Hajo from the Shanazi Heroes (Sweden) discussed how role models and mentoring are helping to reduce honour-based violence in Sweden. The Shanazi Heroes training programme aims to shift young men’s mindsets, encouraging them to see, understand, and act differently.
The initiative takes a comprehensive approach, combining group work, educational sessions, dialogues with the police and other organisations, as well as testimonies. Hajo emphasised the importance of creating an environment of trust and adapting approaches to the different needs of each young person.
Hajo’s experiences sparked our group reflections, as we explored how our organisations play a role in enhancing safety and shared effective strategies. It was interesting to compare how the role of the housing provider differs across Europe, as well as the security challenges we currently face.
Klocket: transformation through learning, sports and culture
During one of our study visits, we saw how dramatically a neighbourhood can change thanks to the power of collaboration, education, sports and culture. Klockaretorpet (Klocket) is a neighbourhood in Norrköping that has faced significant challenges. Listed as one of Sweden’s vulnerable residential areas, the problems escalated in 2015. Businesses and services left the area due to insecurity, crime, and vandalism.
By 2021, the atmosphere was completely different, and the neighbourhood was no longer on the vulnerable list. Collaborative efforts of residents and local organisations – including local housing provider Hyresbostäder – had turned the situation around.
Community spaces are now integral to the neighbourhood, including a House of Knowledge for learning and education initiatives, and a House of Sports and Associations, which enables groups to run activities in the area and provides the support for new initiatives to spark. The Fritidsbanken also serves as a ‘library’ to borrow sports and leisure equipment.
These spaces have created the foundation to re-establish community relations and trust. As Marco Briones from Hyresbostäder highlighted, it is fundamental to give residents the power to create themselves the activities they want. “The focus is not on what we can provide the residents but on what residents want to do. People should never be seen as numbers, but as individuals each with an ability to create something,” Briones commented.
Changing neighbourhood, changing reputation?
When a neighbourhood has been transformed, we often face another challenge: its reputation may change at a slower rate. It can prove difficult to alter the community’s perception of an area. This is where place branding comes in.
In an insightful workshop, Dzejna Seta discussed Varbergs Bostad’s (Sweden) long-term strategy to re-vitalise the Sörse neighbourhood. Redevelopment projects have been ongoing in Sörse since 2011. Despite being well-located, just a short walk from the centre, having plenty of green space, and including homes with a mix of rent levels, the neighbourhood tackled ongoing stigma. A former project under the Million Programme, Sörse had a poor reputation among the community, was perceived as being a less safe and less desirable place to live.
Varbergs Bostad launched a series of initiatives to transform the neighbourhood and its reputation. The strategy involved five key elements: improving quality of life, introducing diverse lifestyle opportunities, enhancing aesthetic appeal, encouraging a sense of pride, and raising economic value.
The ‘Life between the blocks’ approach was crucial in this process. The concept involves three steps: creating natural meeting places, offering opportunities for social activities and events, and maintaining an active dialogue with tenants.
How is the neighbourhood viewed now? 92.2% of Varbergs Bostad’s tenants are satisfied with the residential area, and Sörse won an award in 2019 for the best new residential area in Sweden. But as Seta highlighted, the process is still ongoing: changing perceptions takes time, so you have to commit to a continuous effort and respond to the ever-evolving situation.
At Eurhonet, we will continue to delve further into these important topics. Thank you to all the speakers and participants, and especially to our hosts at Hyresbostäder for organising such an unforgettable Conference and General Assembly 2024.
