Abstract What is the socioeconomic impact of an urban housing project on relocated residents? I will examine the socioeconomic impact of an urban housing project in Izmir, Turkey. Kadifekale is a neighborhood in Izmir where low-income migrants from the eastern part of Turkey move to, due to an increase in violence in eastern Turkey. Kadifekale has a predominance of residents of Kurdish origin who come from the Mardin Province in eastern Turkey. These migrants lived in illegal, low-income settlements for the long time, until the local government forced them to move into assigned public mobility housing in Uzundere, a housing project in the southern part of the city. Based on my ethnographic observations and 15 in-depth interviews in Uzundere resettling low-income migrants from Kadifekale into public mobility housing is an economic development case with strengths and challenges. These socioeconomic challenges include the lack of employment opportunities, as well as the lack of transportation and community amenities. In this paper, I will highlight an urban housing project in Turkey, and I will evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of this housing project based on stories from residents of Uzundere. Keywords: Urban Transformation, Public houses, Race and ethnicity, Migration, Turkey.
