par Swyngedouw, E.;Godart, Pernelle 
;Van Criekingen, Mathieu
Référence Housing studies, page (1-19)
Publication Publié, 2026-05-11
;Van Criekingen, Mathieu Référence Housing studies, page (1-19)
Publication Publié, 2026-05-11
Article révisé par les pairs
| Résumé : | Many European cities face a severe housing affordability crisis, marked by rising rents, housing shortages and homelessness. Brussels exemplifies these trends: many low-income households struggle to pay rent, resulting in increasing expulsions. In this context, eviction constitutes not an isolated rupture but a recurring feature of precarious urban life. Drawing on mixed-method research on housing evictions in Brussels, this paper brings urban and migration studies into dialogue to argue that precarious tenants live under a constant threat of displacement, which we term “forced nomadism”. Insufficient state investment in three interrelated domains: 1) affordable and quality housing, 2) integrated and accessible social services, and 3) tenant protections within a landlord-favouring legal framework, structurally produces this condition. Conceptually, forced nomadism involves two interconnected processes. First, un-homing: the erosion of security, attachment and belonging through eviction threats, deteriorating housing conditions, and legal insecurity. Second, re-homing: repeated efforts required to establish attachment and security in new, precarious housing arrangements. Together, these processes reveal the cyclical nature of displacement, perpetuating instability and diverting resources from housing security. Ultimately, we contend that forced nomadism functions as a form of governance that normalises instability among the housing precariat, reinforcing housing market exclusion and exacerbating urban inequalities. |
