%X The master’s thesis examines the influence social housing associations had on influencing the social composition of neighbourhoods through the sale of homes in the period 2009-2018 in the Dutch 
province of Groningen. In the past, the influence was created by urban renewal, demolishment and the sale of homes. However, austerity and the shift to financially constrained housing associations 
made it costly to invest in urban restructuring programs. Therefore, the sale of homes was seen as 
the most affordable approach.
A mixed-method approach was used to analyse data from the Cadastre that contained the number of sales, the type of homes that were sold and the characteristics of the buyers that bought the homes 
from social housing associations. Moreover, reports were analysed to examine the strategies of housing associations and interviews of employees of housing associations were organized to get in-depth information about the plans and experiences of influencing the social composition of 
neighbourhoods through sales.
The results from this research show that the sale of social housing had limited influence in adjusting the social composition due to weak formulated strategies and market developments. Moreover, 
relationships between the characteristics of buyers and homes were limited. Because of the abandonment of strategies, policies, and certain market developments, the sale became a market-led development that attracted a more varied group of buyers. Housing associations abandoned the strategies that were influencing the social composition to a degree. This resulted in the sales becoming market-led. It is therefore advised that housing associations maintain a certain percentage of homes on a neighbourhood level to prevent a diminished influence in the challenge and elimination of social segregation.
%D 2022
%L theses_frw4099
%A Patrick Rekers
%T The sale of social housing and its influence on the social composition of neighbourhoods