A Space to Care, a Space of Care: Public Housing, Belonging, and Care in Inner Newcastle, Australia

Public housing places are often examined in academic literature through an entry point of social exclusion. The entry point of this paper is, in contrast, belonging. In public housing, belonging is not guaranteed by the provision of a dwelling. Belonging is an active process created by tenants through interactions within households, with neighbours, and with housing providers. Central to these interactions, and the primary focus of this paper, are interactions based on care. The paper draws on results from a survey of public housing tenants in inner Newcastle, Australia. It is argued that a range of forms of care were critical to developing belonging for public housing tenants. The entry point of belonging allows an appreciation of the active of role of tenants in creating their everyday lives and the caring possibilities of public housing tenancy. The care needs and bonds of public housing tenants are explored, as well as perceptions of care deficits that make the achievement of belonging more challenging.