Mehr Housing Project and reproduction of social inequality (Living Experiences in Sadra New Tow)

Mehr Housing Project is known as the most extensive intervention of government in housing development after the Islamic revolution in Iran. The goal was to provide about 2 million affordable housing for low-income groups or nine percent of urban population. The policy seemed to seek to improve the housing situation of low-income groups. However, the relationship between housing development policies and social practices, resulting from those policies, has not been adequately explored so far. The purpose of the study, therefore, is to address the lived experiences of inhabitants in Mehr Housing areas precisely. Moreover, the paper aims to answer the following questions: by living in such housing, what experiences could we explore in the life of those inhabitants? And how experiences could be linked to the social inequalities? This research employs an exploratory orientation, which is based on a qualitative approach and data analyzing also is conducted through a thematic technique. Our data were collected by in-depth semi-structured interviews with some residents of Mehr housing in the Sadra new town near Shiraz, Iran. The findings of this study consist of five main themes including (a) the feeling of living in a camp; (b) the feelings of rejection and exclusion; (c) institutional distrust; (d) cultural confrontation and stigma. Our thematic findings are supported by the reality of low-quality architecture and the scarcity of residential facilities. This situation will lead to a polarized social and spatial city. A different result from what was propagated by the government.