The impact of social change on housing options for sole mothers living in Northern New South Wales (NSW)
Year: 2006
Type: conference-paper
Abstract: The possibility of achieving an important part of Australian cultural identity, that of homeownership, is moving progressively further out of reach for many people on low incomes. This has contributed to social changes within our culture including the increasingly mythologised notion of Australia as an egalitarian society. Housing, once seen as a key equaliser within Australian society, has progressively taken the form of a profitable investment opportunity for many already doing well, leaving many others struggling to pay housing costs. And in a society where the disparity between ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’ is growing (largely due to the housing market), certain groups are more vulnerable than others when it comes to their housing situations. The recent housing boom has clearly not been shared evenly across the socio-economic spectrum with almost noone amongst the poorest 20 percent of Australians owning their own home. Additional disadvantages can be found in relation to key societal determinants such as race, gender and family type, especially in terms of those denied access to homeownership. Low income, women-headed sole parent families are a group particularly vulnerable and disadvantaged regarding their housing. In this paper I draw on some findings of a current qualitative study which takes a critical feminist approach to explore the impact of non-homeownership on sole mother headed families. In-depth interviews were conducted with 32 non-homeowning sole mothers living in Northern NSW. These women’s concerns are discussed against the backdrop of a decline in housing affordability, availability, choice and security of tenure.
Author: Louise Holdsworth
Language: English
Subfield: Finance
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W1531490564