Feeling lucky: young adults, housing struggles, and the neoliberal politics of entitlement

Abstract

AbstractThis paper critically examines why young adults characterize themselves as ‘lucky’ when describing their housing experiences, often when those experiences reflect considerable struggle. We explore this narrative as it emerges in conversation with 29 young adults living in Toronto, Canada. Results of the analysis indicate that some young adults employ the narrative of luck to describe structural forms of privilege they experience within the housing system, while others make use of this narrative in ways that reflect their sense of disentitlement to housing. A critical interpretation of these findings suggests that these two narratives, while used by different groups of individuals, both reflect and reinforce a broader discourse of neoliberalism within the housing system. Specifically, our analysis highlights how the narrative of luck obscures structural inequalities that condition access to safe, secure and suitable housing, while simultaneously reinforcing a neoliberal ideology of (dis)entitlement to housing. We conclude our analysis by considering the implications of this narrative for the immediate- and long-term housing struggles of young adults.Keywords: Luckhousing aspirationsyoung adults and housingneoliberal housing systemsentitlement AcknowledgmentsThe authors are grateful for the helpful comments and feedback provided in a preliminary version of this paper, which was presented virtually at the 2020 Housing Studies Association conference, as well as the constructive feedback of the anonymous reviewers. We would also like to acknowledge the research assistance provided by Renée Ferguson and Chelsea James.Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).Notes1 Initial plans had been in place to conduct more interviews; however, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all interviews ceased in March 2020 when the Canadian government declared a state of emergency. The present analysis reflects the sentiments of young adults in the pre-COVID housing market. Like many urban centres, Toronto’s housing system has seen tremendous instability since this time. While some temporary policy changes were implemented during various waves of the pandemic, such as a temporary ban on evictions, the private rental market and the ownership market remain extremely unaffordabe.Additional informationNotes on contributorsHeather RollwagenHeather Rollwagen is an associate professor in the Sociology Department at Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University). Her research lies at the intersection of housing studies and criminology, exploring questions related to safety, precarity, and urban livability.Brennan MayhewBrennan Mayhew recently completed her Master’s in Urban Planning at the School of Urban Planning at McGill University. Her research spans housing studies and urban design, with a particular focus on topics such as placemaking, housing justice, and food systems.