The right to housing versus the commercial logic of the state: a critical analysis of housing policies in Peru and Spain

Abstract

Introduction: The right to housing is a central component of social and citizenship rights, as it guarantees the minimum material conditions for a dignified life and effective urban integration. However, since the expansion of neoliberal reforms, housing policies have undergone a progressive shift from universal approaches to targeted, market-oriented schemes, creating tensions between housing as a social right and its treatment as a commodity. Methods: The research adopts a qualitative, critical, and comparative approach. A theoretical-conceptual analysis is articulated based on the contributions of social citizenship theory and the right to the city, together with an empirical-documentary analysis of two housing programs: Renta Joven in Peru and the Bolsa de Vivienda de Alquiler in Spain. The study period covers 1980 to 2025, considering the processes of state and urban reconfiguration in both countries. Results: The analysis reveals contrasting models of housing policy. In the Peruvian case, Renta Joven responds to a subsidiary logic that transfers the guarantee of access to housing to the market, conditioning the right to formality and the ability to pay, which reproduces socio-spatial exclusions. In contrast, the Spanish experience shows a hybrid model, where the Bolsa de Vivienda de Alquiler (Rental Housing Exchange) incorporates public mediation, price regulation, and social criteria, partially challenging the commodification of urban living. Conclusions: The study demonstrates that housing policies are not neutral instruments, but rather devices for producing citizenship and social justice. Guaranteeing the right to housing requires an active role for the state as guarantor, capable of regulating the market, expanding the accessible housing stock, and strengthening the right to the city as a democratic principle.