The article examines invisible deprivation and housing precariousness in the countryside through the phenomenon of counterurbanization as a vehicle for overcoming poverty phenomena of urban households in Greece during the economic crisis. We argue that, despite the idealized picture for living in a village, as shown in the predominantly public discourse; rural life is governed by equally unfavorable living conditions for households at the risk of poverty. Through the theoretical framework of hidden homelessness in the rural, fundamental dimensions of housing problems and inadequate living conditions in the countryside are presented. Through the analysis of the different life pathways of people returning from the city to the village, the housing and social living conditions, during the crisis, in the Greek countryside are empirically examined. In the conclusions we find that returning back to rural areas, without accompanying established social support policies, only leads to the reproduction of a situation of proletarianization of households and to the transformation of urban poverty to rural poverty.

Rural housing precariousness calls for spatial and multi-scalar research. Understanding the mechanisms behind these challenges —and identifying how rural families build resilience— is critical for developing effective housing policies that promote social protection and inclusion. The paper examines the lived experiences of rural households in Greece, facing both visible and invisible forms of poverty and housing exclusion, through a comparative three-case study approach. Participants’ narratives identify four aspects of housing precariousness in rural areas: i) substandard housing and living conditions, ii) spatial segregation/exclusion, iii) facing foreclosure or reliance on relatives, and iv) high rents and declining housing stock. The research also sheds light to the structural and institutional dimensions of contemporary rural housing precariousness, and underscores the limitations of familial and community solidarity in rural Greece amidst multiple crises. The paper advocates for a different mode of governance in rural housing—one that takes into account local geographies and sociocultural specificities, as well as gender, ethnicity, ageing, and intersecting social identities.

Les espaces ouverts améliorent la qualité de vie des citadins en leur offrant un cadre de reconnexion avec la nature, de socialisation et d’engagement civique. Cependant, leur gestion traditionnelle par l’État a rencontré en Grèce des difficultés dans un contexte de réduction des ressources publiques. Certains espaces ouverts ne sont plus entretenus, leur qualité se détériore et ils sont moins utilisés. À travers le cas du parc communautaire de Navarinou au centre d’Athènes, cet article introduit et évalue le potentiel des « communs » comme régime alternatif pour gérer efficacement de tels espaces. L’article décrit les caractéristiques de base de ces communs considérés comme une institution socio-économique (à travers le triptyque : ressource commune, communauté, structure de gouvernance). Il révèle le rôle clef de l’acceptation et la reconnaissance sociales pour leur viabilité.