The role of local governments in housing production: An investigation of building cooperatives established under the leadership of Karatay Municipality

Housing is where one of the most basic needs of human beings, the need for shelter, is met. Throughout history, people have created different settlements, individually or as a community, to meet the need for shelter and security. The population growth and rapid urbanization in the last two centuries have increased the need for shelter, which is considered one of the people's fundamental rights to life. Population growth in cities continues, and according to the United Nations assessment, 5 billion people are predicted to live in cities by 2030. In Turkey, the intense migration movement from rural areas to cities for social, economic, social and political reasons after 1950 caused an increase in the population in urban areas and the growth of cities. The housing need arising from this rapid population change in cities has been met within a systematic structure in developed states where the social state approach has been adopted. In contrast, underdeveloped and developing countries have struggled to offer quality housing and people in need of housing have produced solutions through informal settlements like slums and shacks. This has negatively affected the planned development of cities and the creation of qualified built environments. In this regard, states have developed different housing provision policies in various periods to create a livable built environment for their citizens and offer quality housing. In Turkey, central and local governments play an essential role in housing production through different policies and methods. Karatay Municipality is a crucial actor in housing production at the local government level in Turkey. Building cooperatives led by Karatay Municipality have produced approximately 18725 houses since 1993. In this context, the study aims to reveal the role of local governments in housing production in Turkey and to make policy recommendations for the solution to the housing problem. To achieve this, the housing production process of the Building Cooperatives Established under the Leadership of Karatay Municipality was examined. The housing production process was analyzed based on the opinions of the actors involved and the impact of this method on solving the housing problem, public benefit, and the formation of the built environment.