Housing aspirations, pathways, and provision: contradictions and compromises in pursuit of voluntary simplicity

Abstract

Housing is a caring act prompting individuals and groups to challenge the contours of housing policies and systems as they pursue housing aspirations, shape housing pathways, and secure housing provision. In this article, we think critically about housing as part of an infrastructure of care and about how housing aspirations, pathways, and provisioning inform moral and caring acts known as voluntary simplicity. We focus on housing aspirations, pathways, and provisioning to document how those three ‘rub up’ against four specific provision processes (preparation, purchase, design, and permissions and implementation) and conclude that voluntary simplicity could be a powerful tool by which to shape more caring housing futures – if it was troubled by fewer contradictions and compromises in its application and if those subscribing to it were supported by a few key resources. Findings point to general and widespread opportunities to think more about the relationship of voluntary simplicity to housing studies, including in small-scale studies in regional centres.

Keywords:

• Housing aspirations
• housing pathways
• housing provision
• households
• voluntary simplicity
• Tasmania
• Australia

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Marisa McArthur

Marisa McArthur is a PhD Candidate in the Discipline of Geography and Spatial Sciences. The work reported here is drawn in part from her Masters of Environmental Planning, for which she was awarded the Mike Shield Award recognising the student graduating in the calendar year of the award with the best overall academic performance.

Elaine Stratford

Marisa McArthur is a PhD Candidate in the Discipline of Geography and Spatial Sciences. The work reported here is drawn in part from her Masters of Environmental Planning, for which she was awarded the Mike Shield Award recognising the student graduating in the calendar year of the award with the best overall academic performance.

Elaine Stratford is Professor of Geography in the Discipline of Geography and Spatial Sciences.