The role of housing corporations in shaping healthy living environments
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2025-11-06
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en
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This master’s thesis focuses on the role of housing corporations in the policy and practice of creating a healthy living environment. In recent years, the concentration of vulnerable groups within the social rental sector has increased, making poverty, and physical and mental health challenges more visible. Although health is not formally a core task of housing corporations, they play an important signaling role in neighborhoods with significant health disparities. Through their presence in the local environment, corporations can not only detect problems early but also stimulate behavioral change by influencing the built and social environment.
Based on case studies, including initiatives in municipalities such as Zwolle, Doetinchem, and Winterswijk, the research examines how housing corporations – in collaboration with municipalities, public health services, and social partners – contribute to preventive health policy. Their contributions include connecting stakeholders, leveraging networks, and supporting initiatives that encourage residents to adopt healthier lifestyles, without overstepping their primary housing responsibilities.
The thesis demonstrates that housing corporations, due to their unique position within neighborhoods, play a key role in creating a healthy living environment. Their engagement illustrates that health and housing are increasingly intertwined, with integrated collaboration being essential to reduce health inequalities and promote well-being in vulnerable communities.
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Faculteit der Managementwetenschappen