Date of Graduation

Spring 5-23-2026

Document Access

Project/Capstone - Global access

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Urban and Public Affairs

College/School

College of Arts and Sciences

Department/Program

Urban and Public Affairs

First Advisor

Timothy Redmond

Second Advisor

Dr. Rachel Brahinsky

Abstract

Athens has been experiencing a severe housing affordability crisis, recording one of the highest rent increases among EU countries in recent years. The absence of a strong housing welfare system, combined with new pressures related to tourism, investment activity, and post-crisis market restructuring, has intensified housing insecurity across the city. This thesis examines three Athenian neighborhoods that reflect different forms of housing pressure within the post crisis housing landscape: Koukaki, a central neighborhood heavily affected by short-term rentals (STRs); Palaio Faliro, a coastal suburb shaped by redevelopment and investment activity; and Nea Smyrni, a predominantly residential area experiencing increasing density and infrastructure strain. By combining neighborhood-level survey data, semi-structured interviews with key housing actors, and secondary quantitative indicators, the study examines how housing pressure is experienced across different local contexts. The findings reveal important differences in both the drivers and lived experiences of housing pressure, despite the close geographical proximity of the neighborhoods. The interviews add a further layer to this analysis by showing that actors positioned differently within the housing system also interpret the causes and solutions of the crisis differently. The thesis argues that housing pressure in Athens takes different forms across neighborhoods, producing uneven experiences and competing interpretations of the crisis. As a result, universal policy responses are unlikely to be fully effective. Instead, policy should move toward a more targeted national framework that allows differentiated measures based on local housing pressures and neighborhood conditions. Given the historically limited role of social housing in Greece, the study further argues that gradual and pilot-based interventions are likely to be more institutionally feasible for addressing the crisis.

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