Investing in basic rights, capabilities and anti-poverty policies in Belgium (Re-InVEST.be)

The research will focus on the nexus between social protection, housing and health. Key research questions in all three areas will relate to accessibility and adequacy of rights, as well as the (mutually reinforcing) effects of social (dis)investment on the ‘beings and doings’ of households and individuals. The research will also include an evaluation of existing policy packages and recommendations for more effective anti-poverty strategies.

The theoretical framework builds on capabilities and human rights as building blocks for the social inclusion and wellbeing of individuals. Poverty can result from a lack of resources, constraining conversion factors, and/or lack of rights and free choice. From a dynamic perspective, poverty can in turn constrain households’ investment in their own resources (housing, education, health etc.), thus ending up in vicious circles of deprivation.