Historical victories, contemporary crisis: organising non-profit housing in Sweden

In a context where contemporary housing mobilisations often focus on defending existing gains rather than producing new alternatives, this article examines ETC Bygg, a Swedish non-profit organisation that aims to construct affordable rental apartments on a larger scale through ‘crowdfunding’ and social mobilisation. The paper explores how, and in what ways, ETC Bygg’s strategy for organising non-profit alternative housing production is shaped and constrained by its context. Methodologically, the paper relies on textual analysis, interviews, and a historically grounded analysis to understand the project beyond its particularity. The paper shows how the repertoire and politics associated with earlier labour and tenants’ movements have shaped the context in which ETC Bygg emerges while also directly inspiring the initiative. However, in contrast to earlier movements, the organisation operates without a broad grassroots base and relies on organisational and financial arrangements that both enable the project and constrain its potential to scale and secure long-term decommodification. The article contributes to debates on alternative housing provision by identifying both the possibilities and limits of organising housing production as transformative collective action in the capitalist city.