Housing for a post-growth world: A Manifesto

Providing housing for all is central to building any future. Yet, the system put in place to deliver housing globally has been relentlessly driven by growth imperatives. The consequences are far reaching: unhealthy, unsafe, overcrowded, over- or underheated, and inadequate housing, which is paralleled by the soaring greenhouse gas emissions and biodiversity loss tied to the construction and operation of buildings.

We are a group of practitioners, activists, and researchers who came together at the 2025 International Degrowth Conference to share and discuss efforts towards housing (for) a postgrowth world. We found common ground in four proposals, which challenge the current dominant housing paradigm.

In this Manifesto, we reaffirm the well-documented crises that permeate the housing sector, and we set forth a collective vision for housing beyond growth. But we do not stop at critique. We highlight initiatives from across the globe that reveal how people are already building homes rooted in care, equity, and ecological responsibility. This Manifesto aims to forge a shared language – one that unites diverse struggles and visions for the future, across geographies and political perspectives. It is a call to action, a framework for solidarity, and a commitment to providing homes that nurture both people and the planet.

Access the Manifesto here: https://housingdegrowth.substack.com/...

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