Housing as capability: dimensions of opportunity, security and ability in the restructuring of public housing policies

Abstract

This article addresses the normative foundations of the right to housing, contrasting natural and socially constructed rights. Methodologically, a qualitative, critical-conceptual approach is adopted, substantiated by a literature review. The research mobilizes Thomas Marshall’s concept of citizenship and Amartya Sen and Martha Nussbaum’s Capabilities Approach to move from philosophical abstraction to the praxis of public policy. It concludes that it is feasible to refute the natural law foundation and, simultaneously, uphold the legal guarantees required for vulnerable populations. To this end, a paradigm shift is postulated, transcending mere material provision to focus on the expansion of substantive freedoms. This transition is structured in three dimensions of intervention and evaluation of public housing policies: opportunity, aiming to dismantle exclusionary institutional arrangements and eligibility structures; security, to guarantee stability of tenure, build resilience to climate events, and avoid forced choices in subsistence; and skills, focused on housing literacy and empowering citizens to plan strategies and claim collective rights.