‘My room is like my sanctuary’: Exploring homelessness and home(un)making in the austere city

Abstract

Since austerity policies in the UK began in 2010, homelessness has risen rapidly. Drawing from feminist geographical theories and methodologies, this paper examines experiences of homelessness under austerity in Haringey, London through photo-elicitation research with one participant, Tessa. This paper argues that home(un)making—the constantly shifting balance of homemaking and unmaking—is central to everyday experiences of, and resistance to, austerity. The paper first demonstrates how Tessa resists austerity through practices of homemaking that enable her to cope with the difficulties of homelessness at a time of austerity. Next, it explores how Tessa's relationships with other actors in the homeless shelter—other residents and government officials—contributed to processes of home-unmaking, exacerbating the hardships she experiences. By developing the concept of home(un)making, therefore, this paper aims to show the dynamism of home for homeless people under austerity.