Description
The housing crisis gripping the world has intensified, particularly in terms of rental scarcity, leading to a significant social issue where financially disadvantaged households are increasingly ensnared in a cycle of housing insecurity characterized by rent arrears and evictions. The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic has further exacerbated this situation, highlighting the household as a locus of both empirical injustice and a space in need of protection. Under the current Covid era, the politics of the household reveal stark contradictions stemming from the pervasive influence of neoliberal practices in everyday life. The escalating challenges faced by households and the deepening housing crisis linked to the financialisation of social reproduction are viewed as outcomes of the privatization of public housing provision under neoliberal frameworks. Neoliberalism, epitomised by asset-based welfare policies like Thatcher's 'Right to Buy' from 1979, is identified as the primary driver behind these shifts. However, a closer examination of the historical roots of neoliberal pressures reveals that ideologies promoting homeownership, such as 'Right to Buy,' have earlier origins dating back to Conservative policies in 1945. This historical context suggests that the theory of the household under neoliberalism needs to be reevaluated, particularly in relation to family responsibilities and values. The study aims to explore the implications of this oversight within social reproductive feminist theory, emphasising the need to analyse familial relations within the neoliberal context rather than solely focusing on market forces and privatisation. By investigating how normative 'family values' influenced housing policy changes in the 1980s, the research seeks to illuminate the role of conservative ideals in shaping responses to housing challenges during the British neoliberal transition.
