“Somewhere You Can Be Yourself Proudly”: The Ambiguous Nature of ‘Home’ For Families Living in Substandard Rental Housing in Aotearoa New Zealand

Abstract

A growing body of work shows that creating a sense of home and engaging in homemaking activities is important to people even when in difficult situations such as homelessness or living in temporary accommodation. This study examines the possibilities of making a home in substandard rental housing. We analysed interviews with 20 adults, the majority who were Māori or Pacific peoples, who were raising children in cold, damp, and mouldy housing in Aotearoa New Zealand. Iris Marion Young’s theorizing on home provides a framework to explore our findings. We find that dwellings can simultaneously provide and deny safety and personal space, allowing people to engage in homemaking practices and express their identity, but only to a limited extent. Homes must enable the expression of collective or cultural identity, as well as individual identity. Our findings provide a new dimension to the rich thread of literature on the ambiguous nature of “home”.