Sweden wants housing boards to decide who is too risky to live there. DO warns that could discriminate
A government bill would broaden co-op boards’ power to reject buyers and remove owners. The Equality Ombudsman warns that vague judgments could enable ethnic profiling.
Sweden’s government wants housing co-operative boards to gain broader power to reject buyers and, in some cases, force owners to leave because of crime or serious misconduct. The Equality Ombudsman says the discretion could turn suspicion and stereotypes into housing decisions.
In its formal response, DO warned that vague definitions of “misconduct”, decisions made before a criminal conviction, and judgments about people perceived as criminal could produce arbitrary treatment and discrimination. It said ethnic profiling already appears in Sweden’s justice system and could make the effects fall unevenly.
The final government bill keeps broader powers to deny membership and forfeit a co-op home. It also records objections from DO and other consultation bodies that boards could rely on rumours, hearsay or subjective impressions.
The government rejects that assessment. It argues the risk should not be exaggerated, that boards face financial consequences for wrongful refusals, and that the proposed wording should support consistent decisions.
Parliament has not yet decided the bill. If adopted, the changes are intended to take effect on 1 January 2027. The dispute is therefore not whether housing associations should be able to respond to serious crime. It is how much judgment volunteer boards should exercise over who is considered too risky to live beside.
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