New article: The History and Potential Future of Non-Profit Construction Companies

The article explores the challenges facing housing construction in Sweden, particularly in the light of declining profit margins and an increasing need for housing. The authors underscore the importance of alternative ownership structures in addressing these issues and raise the question of whether residential construction should be left solely to the capitalist market, given the growing demand for housing. Holgersen and Wallstam analyze Sweden’s long history of alternative ownership structures in the housing sector, including public and union-owned construction companies that were significant during the 20th century and disappeared in the 1990s. By studying this history, the article examines whether companies with alternative ownership structures and different approaches to profit could be reintroduced to the sector to tackle its recurring challenges.

Read the article: Wallstam, M., & Holgersen, S. (2025). Building beyond profit: the history and potential future of non-profit construction companies. Housing Studies, 1–20.

Ståle Holgersen is Senior Lecturer, Docent in Human Geography at Stockholm University.
Maria Wallstam is a PhD student at the Institute for Housing and Urban Research, Uppsala University.