Housing
4 case studies
Social housing systems demonstrate how governments can decouple housing from market cycles while maintaining long-term capital regeneration through land value capture and lease structures.
Theory Connection: Housing case studies show PSC/RCA at massive scale with strong AoE characteristics—high identity coupling (civic pride) and low friction (automatic rent collection) create sustainable behavioural loops.
Community Land Trusts (UK)
Community Land Trusts (CLTs) separate land ownership from housing ownership. The trust owns the land permanently; residents own or rent the buildings. When homes are sold, prices are capped to maintain affordability for the next buyer. This decouples housing from speculative markets while allowing residents to build equity. The UK now has 300+ CLTs, with 20,000+ homes planned. The model originated in the US civil rights movement and has been adapted globally.
- Land in perpetual community ownership
- Resale price caps maintain affordability
- Residents build limited equity
Hong Kong Public Housing
Hong Kong's public housing system houses 45% of the population—over 3 million people. The Housing Authority is the world's largest landlord. Rents are below market, creating massive housing security for residents. However, the system has serious limitations: waiting lists average 6+ years, there's no democratic governance, and allocation policies are opaque. It demonstrates that government can provide housing at scale, but without community governance, alignment problems emerge.
- 45% of population housed
- 3M+ residents
- World's largest landlord
Singapore HDB
Singapore's Housing Development Board (HDB) houses 80% of the population in public flats—the highest rate of public housing in the world. The genius is in the 99-year lease structure: citizens buy flats, but the land reverts to the state after 99 years. This creates a regenerative cycle where land value appreciation flows back to fund new housing. The system has transformed Singapore from slums to one of the world's highest home ownership rates in just 64 years.
- 80% of population in public housing
- 99-year leasehold structure
- Integrated with CPF retirement system
Vienna Social Housing
Vienna's social housing system, launched in 1919, is perhaps the most successful urban housing program in history. 60% of Vienna's population lives in subsidised housing—not stigmatised public housing, but high-quality mixed-income developments. The system works through perpetual land ownership: the city never sells land, only leases it. This decouples housing from speculative market cycles. Rent income regenerates into new construction, creating a self-sustaining system that has operated for 105 years.
- 60% of city in subsidised housing
- Mixed-income, high-quality design
- Land never sold, only leased