Entry to home ownership: a comparison between Turkey and the Netherlands

Promotie: mw. G.P. Sarioglu Erdogdu, 16.15 uur, Academiegebouw, Broerstraat 5, Groningen

Proefschrift: Entry to home ownership: a comparison between Turkey and the Netherlands

Promotor(s): prof.dr. P.H. Pellenbarg, prof.dr. M. Balamir

Faculteit: Ruimtelijke wetenschappen

Contact: Pelin Sarioglu, tel. 00 90 312 210 6246, e-mail: g.p.sarioglu@rug.nl

Entry to home ownership: a comparison between Turkey and the Netherlands

Studies of tenure choice and/or Entry to Home Ownership (EHO) already stand at the heart of housing studies. This attention stems primarily from the increasing tendency of home ownership rates in the majority of advanced capitalist countries. This thesis examines the factors which hypothetically affect EHO process. In doing so, a comparison is carried out between two countries which are quite distinct with respect to their housing policies: Turkey and the Netherlands. The former is characterized by low level of state intervention and primary performance of the private sector in housing provision. The latter however, is known with its great performance in state provision of public housing. The comparison is carried out for two levels: the national comparison between urban Turkey and urban Netherlands and case comparison between Ankara and Amsterdam. Contextual and empirical EHO analysis of the study confirms that, despite overall similarities, there are great differences affecting EHO in the two countries. Due to strong state regulation in the Netherlands, EHO is realized with respect to certain steps in indivuals’ life-cycles, whereas in Turkey, EHO is more related to its investment value, its decreasing future ambiguities and to its providing security both in financial and social terms.