Well-Behaved Owners and Troublesome Tenants? How Dense Social Mixing Shapes Housing Communities and Dispels Prejudices

This paper examines the kinds of boundaries laid by residents of mixed-tenure housing communities and how distinctions are rationalized. Based on interview data on a densely mixed community (both owner-occupied and social housing apartments mixed with stairwells) in Helsinki, Finland, I observe how residents outline their neighbourhood. Based on the analysis, urban anonymity was the most significant repertoire defining communal life, followed by others such as sense of home and fiscal prudence. In densely mixed settings, residents are forced to witness each other’s domestic life; thus, dense social mixing can prevent prejudices between tenure groups. The study results contribute to the understanding of cultural repertoires in hierarchical relationships vis-à-vis each other, creating varying contexts and defining the lived realities in communities. Empirically, the results question prevailing images of troublesome tenants and well-behaved owners.