Between solidarity and conditionality: European programs and aid for housing reconstruction. Institutional transformations and debates on legitimacy in reconstruction and social policies in Europe (2022-2025)

In general terms, and looking beyond case studies, housing reconstruction is not merely a material response but also a field of institutional, political, and moral contention regarding the legitimacy, governance, and effective access to fundamental rights for vulnerable individuals and groups. In this context, this research analyzes, from a comparative perspective, how European programs and aid aimed at housing reconstruction in Europe between 2022 and 2025 have articulated logics of solidarity and conditionality, as well as the institutional transformations and disputes over legitimacy that these interventions have generated in the field of housing reconstruction and social policies. Methodologically, this is a qualitative and documentary study based on content analysis and the perspective of comparative politics. The findings suggest that the difference between solidarity and conditionality is only superficial, since both issues tend to intertwine when policymakers design programs and assistance for housing reconstruction; thus, assistance does not operate in an ethical vacuum, but rather within contexts of eligibility, oversight, accountability, and regulatory alignment that can enhance social well-being.