Blog series: coronavirus, housing and home
The advent of the coronavirus pandemic is having an unprecedented impact on society. It cuts across many dimensions of our daily lives, our sense of ontological security, uncertainty about the future and many material concerns as well. The virus and associated government responses have already had a considerable impact on the housing system. Almost overnight, the lockdown reduced the incomes of many and transformed how most of us relate to our homes. In all likelihood, the impacts will be longstanding and unevenly distributed both socially and geographically across the UK.
In this rapidly shifting environment, with so many factors – public health, economic, political and social– in flux, it is difficult to accurately predict or fully understand the implications of the coronavirus pandemic for the housing system. The rigour to which most academics and researchers aspire may simply be unachievable. The paradox, however, is that it is in these times of radical uncertainty when expertise is arguably needed most.
Starting from 31 March, we therefore aim to curate and publish a series of outputs exploring the key issues raised by the pandemic (see full list below). In the first blogpost published today, Prof David Robinson considers whether the social and economic constraints imposed by the ‘lockdown’ might make us all feel a little more empathy for those older people (and other fellow citizens) for whom being confined at home alone is the norm.
Over the coming weeks, researchers – from both inside and outside of CaCHE – will explore a host of other issues relating to the pandemic: from the meaning of home as a place of ‘harm’ to best-practice around the protection of homeless people. We will make use of a wide range of mediums, including blog, briefing papers, and webinars.
In these uncertain times, we hope CaCHE can provide a dynamic platform for researchers from across the housing system to help inform the responses of policymakers and practitioners. If you have any thoughts or ideas for blogs, webinars or any other contributions then please in the first instance contact our knowledge exchange associate, Dr Chris Foye, at chris.foye@glasgow.ac.uk.
Read more:
- Prof David Robinson: What staying at home can teach us about the housing experiences of many older people (31 March 2020)
- Dr Francesca Albanese and Dr Zana Khan: How to mitigate the effects of coronavirus on homeless people, (6 April 2020)
- Dr Ligia Teixeira: Coronavirus: A historic opportunity to end homelessness for good in the UK (6 April 2020)
- Dr Craig Gurney: Out of harm’s way? Critical remarks on harm and the meaning of home during the 2020 COVID-19 social distancing measures (8 April 2020)
- Prof Moira Munro: Life under lockdown: Our complex and varied relationship with home (9 April 2020)
- Dr Craig Gurney and Professor Moira Munro: Webinar – ‘Social distancing’ and the meaning of home (9 April 2020)
- Prof Mark Stephens: Housing and the crises from the global financial crisis to COVID-19 (14 April 2020)
- Dr Tom Simcock: What is the likely impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the UK private rented sector (15 April 2020)
- Dr John Boyle: COVID-19 rocking the Scottish property market (15 April 2020)
- Prof Annette Hastings: Are we “all in this together?”: Reflecting on the continuities between austerity and COVID-19 crises in the UK (17 April 2020)
- Dr Emma Bimpson and Dr Kesia Reeve: Without ‘home’ and away from children: Homelessness and motherhood during COVID-19 (22 April 2020)
- Paul Hackett: Housebuilding’s role in stimulating economic recovery (5 May 2020)
- Dr Kim McKee, Anna Pearce, Dr Sharon Leahy: The unequal impact of COVID-19 on black, Asian, minority ethnic and refugee communities (6 May 2020)
- Prof Peter Williams: Flying blind? COVID-19 and the UK mortgage market (7 May)
- Dr Lisa Garnham: Coping with the COVID-19 pandemic: The central role of home (20 May)
- Prof Joe Frey: Northern Ireland’s housing market – the prospects for recovery (24 June)
Date: March 31, 2020 8:00 am
Author(s): Ken Gibb
Categorised in: News