The ‘third-party partner’ social housing organization as a collective challenge in Casablanca, Morocco

Since the independence day in 1956, the Moroccan State has adopted a considerable number of social housing policies and urban strategies to combat unsanitary housing, particularly in Casablanca. Contrary to all these favourable social housing and urban implementations lacking an appropriate framework in Morocco, these settlements still represent a new chain of serious dilemmas constituted by social and physical problems. This article starts with an overview of the Moroccan governmental post-colonial urban and social housing policies in Casablanca. It aims to evaluate the outcomes of the governmental ‘Cities Without Slums’ program launched as a strategy of the National Initiative for Human Development upgrading in 2004. Investigating the restructuring on site, rehousing, and resettlement strategies, this article focuses on resettlement implementations by presenting a detailed analysis of the “third-party partner” organization and aims to discuss its social and physical outcomes. Today, social housing concepts as outcomes of post-colonial global penetrations in developing countries in South America and Africa might turn into a generic urban trap, delusion or disappointment for the urban poor. In this context, this study finally includes suggestions regarding the sustainable social housing concepts especially in Casablanca, Morocco by considering and reminding the spatial justice, equity, economy, transparent management, organization, housing diversity and urban identity and democracy.