Making home? Permitted and prohibited place-making in youth homeless accommodation

Abstract

Based on the premise that 'home' is more than bricks and mortar, a growing body of literature has considered how the concept might be applied to homelessness. Aligned with 'home', homemaking refers to the construction of living spaces so that their sensory features and the practices that occur there create a pleasant environment that enhances wellbeing. However, the instability and structural constraints within which homeless people live can limit their ability to home-make. Hence, in this article, 'place-making' proved a useful alternative concept. This article draws on an ethnographic study in Scotland involving 22 young people and 27 staff who lived and worked respectively in a supported accommodation hostel. It demonstrates how the residents engaged in sensory practices within the tightly regulated confines of the hostel. A distinction is made between 'permitted' and 'prohibited' practices to argue that home-making is not a morally-neutral concept. Rather there are 'right' and 'wrong' ways for homeless people to personalise their living spaces.

The importance of geographical location to people who have experienced homelessness

“…Similarly, Harman (1989) argued some female hostel dwellers defined home as houses, but others said it was about being in locations with key people near them. Similarly, Kellet and and Hoolahan (2022) found a variety of views from people living in a hostel as to whether it was home depending on several factors including location. Niemen (2022) claimed users of shelters and day centres adopted the term home to describe both houses and wider geographical locations.…”

“…In practise, arbitrary local rules have been increasingly introduced This has allowed refusing access to social housing registers, discretionary housing payments and local welfare assistance to those deemed to be undeserving. These reflect the arbitrary conditionality of help described by writers such as McCarthy (2017), Hoolahan (2022) and Fitzpatrick (2005) Bauman argued that neoliberal societies run into a difficulty because people have an instinctive concern for the welfare of the poor (Bauman and Donskis 2012). Merlau-Ponty (1945 argued that one cannot dehumanise the other if one is looking her in the eye and seeing her pain.…”

“…In doing so they maintained an identity other than 'homeless. ' Hoolahan (2022) described how young people living in hostels also tried to use routines around things like laundry and personal cleanliness as ways or protecting their sense of independence in an environment of enforced communal living. They also attempted to create more of a feeling of home by personalising rooms, having friends visit, engaging in behaviours they enjoyed, and breaking rules 20 .…”

“…This is despite Barbara having been allocated a flat in South London as her route out of homelessness. In doing so, she reflected the writings of Jackson (2015) and Hoolahan (2022) who described the sense of competition for resources amongst people who experience homelessness.…”

“…Others were closer to the views of Hoolahan (2022) and Jackson (2015) Someone is skimming it off, but it isn't us. "…”