Behind ‘Win-Win’: Politics, Interests and Ideologies in Housing Subsidy Programmes

Abstract

This paper discusses four large-scale, well-regarded housing subsidy programmes (in Chile, Mexico, the Philippines and South Africa) in order to explore the political and social dynamics of pro-poor development success. In particular, it argues that — at least for the programmes considered here — success has been achieved through alliance-based policymaking, and has always been accompanied by both compromise and contestation. Such processes may be inevitable if state programmes that aim to secure a degree of redistribution are to achieve any significant success.