Domestic and family violence is the leading cause of female homelessness, yet social housing provision has declined in Anglophone countries like Australia and housing policy responses favour demand-side subsidies to assist with rental payments. We examine the consequences of ‘choice-based’ approaches in competitive housing markets, applying a theoretical discussion of how the neoliberal subject is supposed to respond to external shocks in an adaptive and resilient manner, and problematise assumptions that subsidies provide ‘choice’. The paper is based on findings from an [text removed]. Analysis suggests that private market rental subsidies work well in some areas and not so well in others, depending on local housing market conditions. In some cases, women have returned to violent situations because they perceive no alternative. These findings suggest that the positing of ‘choice’ for women is rhetorical rather than real because it is conditioned by the ability to compete in high-cost private rental markets.
Funding
Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute
History
Publication title
Housing Studies
Volume
37
Issue
10
Pagination
1896-1915
ISSN
0267-3037
Department/School
School of Social Sciences
Publisher
Routledge
Place of publication
Rankine Rd, Basingstoke, England, Hants, Rg24 8Pr
Rights statement
Copyright 2021 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group
Repository Status
Restricted
Socio-economic Objectives
Homelessness and housing services; Violence and abuse services; Public services policy advice and analysis