Mapping the spatial and temporal patterns of housing instability in Malmö

Abstract

Housing instability is closely related to housing precarity and inequality. Households experiencing housing instability change residences frequently, facing difficulties in staying put, which has been proven detrimental for families. This study explores the geographical outcomes of housing instability showing how this phenomenon distributes in Malmö, Sweden, creating different spatial and temporal patterns. The paper relies on registered-based data aggregated to geographical coordinates to identify places of transience and uses k-nearest neighbour for measuring the intensity of unstable moves in spatial terms. Furthermore, the mapping of housing instability across four distinct time frames spanning from 1990 to 2020 illustrates the temporal unfolding of these patterns. The findings indicate a progression of housing instability spreading from specific spatial points to a more widespread dispersion of transience. This suggests an overall change in the city which may be linked to transformations in housing politics and policies.