Housing, Inequality, and Economic Change in Syria

In the field of housing, Syria displays an unusual set of characteristics. Despite being largely free of the archetypal Third World slums, an ever-larger share of the population is classed as living in 'informal' settlements. This lack of affordable, decent housing is increasingly seen as a major socioeconomic crisis, while at the same time vast amounts of money are being invested in luxury properties for a newly visible, ultra-wealthy elite. This article examines these aspects of contemporary Syria, and finds their roots in the country's transition froma centrally-planned, statist economy, to one with increasingly neoliberal characteristics. The recent wave of unrest in the country may be symptomatic of these changes.