The Privatization of Swedish Community Service Properties 2010-2022 : Overview and Analysis ; Privatiseringen av svenska samhällsfastigheter 2010-2022 : Översikt och analys

This study explores the dynamics of privatization in the Swedish community service properties market over the past decade. Motivated by the scarcity of comprehensive research in this domain, an overview is presented based on data from mapping and quantifying transaction volumes. The study also provides an analysis of three variables that are thought to influence the privatization trend: economics, demographics and political shifts. Drawing from an extensive dataset, the methodology involves a multi-stage process, including data retrieval from Datscha, creation of specialized datasets by contacting local government organizations, supplementary data collection from Kolada, and regression analyses. The following characteristics of community service property sales were identified in the dataset:1) the vast majority of sales were performed by private actors and not local government; 2) many Swedish municipalities and regions only sell if local government services are or will be privatized; 3) municipalities (and not regions) tend to sell community service properties together with other property and the most sold property types are related to the ageing population; 4) most sales are to big private companies that specialize in community service properties. Thus, contrary to the perception of hasty decision-making, all four characteristics suggest a nuanced understanding of established strategies within local governments. Results from the regression analyses reveal thatamong the three commonly suggested variables - economics, demographics and political shifts -political governance and demographic factors seem significant in influencing transaction patterns. The thesis concludes by outlining avenues for future exploration, emphasizing the need for more extensive datasets, qualitative studies on strategic approaches, and investigations into post-transaction property management dynamics. This study contributes to the emerging discourse on community service property privatization in Sweden, offering insights that bridge the ...