Policy Press Housing Transitions Through the the Life Course: Aspirations, Needs and Policy

For decades housing researchers and policy makers have considered the relationship between housing and the life course. The housing we live in shapes individual access to jobs, health, well-being and communities. There are substantial differences between generations regarding the type of housing they aspire to live in, their attitudes to housing costs and the nature of their households. This important contribution to the literature presents a fresh perspective on these ideas. It draws upon research from the UK, Australia and the US to show how lifetime attitudes to housing have changed, with new population dynamics driving the market and a greater emphasis on consumption. It considers how the global financial crisis has differentially affected housing markets, with variable impacts on the long-term housing transitions of different populations. The authors argue that how we think about households and their housing needs to be recast to acknowledge this changed environment and provide a more powerful conceptual framework. Review "A hugely impressive book. Transitions through the housing market not only offers a valuable comparison of lifetime attitudes towards housing across different countries but also highlights how the global financial crisis has impacted on such markets. Bang up-to-date and highly readable. A much recommended read." --Professor David Bailey, Coventry University business School, UK About the Author Andrew Beer is a Professor in Geography at the University of Adelaide and was previously based at Flinders University. His interests include the relationship between housing and the life course, regional economic development policies and homelessness. Debbie Faulkner is a Research Fellow in the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies at the University of Adelaide. She has published widely on issues of housing and ageing, demographic processes and immigration.