Swedish housing providers test income-based rent reservations

Public housing providers in Stockholm and Uppsala are implementing trials to reserve low-rent apartments for households earning below the city's median income. This initiative, described by Svenska Bostäder as a model ranging ‘from floor to income cap’, utilizes the housing queue system to allocate units to those meeting the financial criteria.

In Malmö, Boplats Syd, Skåne Stadsmission, and private landlords such as Stena are also reserving apartments for families under specific income thresholds, supported by 2025 amendments to the Housing Supply Act. While intended to address local housing shortages and rising living costs, the move has drawn criticism regarding the distinction between prioritizing immediate need and implementing a ‘social housing’ model based on income eligibility.