Research projects

Based on the findings on municipal allocation practices of social housing from the preceding project “Subsidized Housing in North Rhine-Westphalia: Legal Instruments and Allocation Practices” (2022-2023), the current project takes a closer look at the process of applying for a housing entitlement certificate (Wohnberechtigungsschein - WBS). The aim of the project is to better understand the relationships between the target group, the application process, and social housing promotion. The main research question is: How do potentially eligible households access social housing in NRW?

The project is divided into three content-related and methodological components:

1. Analysis of households applying for WBS: Based on data from NRW.Bank, the development, composition, and regional distribution of households applying for WBS in the municipalities of NRW are analysed.
2. Online survey of the responsible authorities: In a quantitative survey, the responsible authorities in NRW are asked about the application procedure and the respective responsibilities, the composition and access opportunities of the households applying for WBS as well as social housing promotion strategies in the respective municipality.
3. Qualitative interviews in individual case studies: Based on the previous analyses, in-depth qualitative interviews are conducted with relevant stakeholders in selected case study municipalities.