Homelessness and Housing Stress

This title offers cross-disciplinary visions and insights into the implications of housing policy across continents, through accounts of the lived experience of homelessness and housing stress. Consisting of twenty chapters, visual essays and manifestos from a range of viewpoints inspired by the introductory Homefullness manifesto, this timely collection explores experiences of and approaches to homelessness and housing stress and presents Homefullness as a positive lens to work towards inclusive, affordable and sustainable communities where everyone has a home. It covers a diverse range of topics including supporting cross-disciplinary thinking and innovation in the areas of homelessness and housing stress. The diverse provocative international thinking, research and practice included here explores the importance of community solidarity, mutual aid, and the meaning of home. This book will be ideal for students, scholars, researchers and practitioners across multiple disciplines and will appeal to readers with interests in the areas of social justice, art, design, activism, homelessness, housing stress, housing policy and provision, human rights and community development.

Neal Haslem is a Senior Lecturer and Interim Associate Dean of the Communication Design discipline in the RMIT School of Design. Neal is a communication designer, design educator and a practice-led researcher in communication design. Neal's research lies in the intersection of design practice, 'community' and the intersubjective action with which design reveals and actualises possible futures. Since 2012, Neal has collaborated with Keely Macarow and Marcus Knutagård on manifestos, publications, conferences, and exhibitions advancing the concept of Homefullness. Marcus Knutagård is a Professor and Head of Department at Malmö University, Sweden. His work integrates research and practice, focusing on housing, homelessness, social policy, and welfare systems. His research frequently highlights the intersection of housing rights and social justice, as well as innovative approaches for addressing homelessness. Since 2012, Professor Knutagård has collaborated with Keely Macarow and Neal Haslem on manifestos, publications, conferences, and exhibitions advancing the concept of Homefullness. Keely Macarow is an Associate Professor in the School of Art, RMIT University (Naarm/Melbourne) who lives on Dja Dja Wurrung Country (Victoria/Australia). Keely uses text, artworks, design artefacts and exhibitions to explore concerns around care, housing, refugees, health, the climate emergency and her family. She has collaborated with Neal Haslem and Marcus Knutgard since 2012 on manifestos, publications, symposia and exhibitions to advocate for Homefullness.

Introduction 1.Towards Homefullness Part 1: Questioning Housing 2.Ore Sy Guazu: Inhabiting dispossession - the Guarani Oga Guazu and its tale of belonging 3.Housing Begins With a Hug: Homefullness on a refugee rescue ship 4.Lone Voices in the Desert: The politicisation of housing discourse in public space 5.From Ugly to Beautiful: On homelessness and the secret art of being with others Part 2: Homes and Homefullness 6.De(sign)ing Home 7.Being Homeless and Becoming Homefull: Homefullness as an ontological state 8.Pandemic Play: Making home through lockdown and animal crossing - new horizons 9.Altered Spaces, Relationships and Identities: Supporting people experiencing mental distress in the home 10.In Search of Homefull Neighborhoods: Safety and safeness beyond the home Part 3: Communities of Possibility 11.Homefullness, design and problem care 12.Lessons From the Movements: Small acts of Homefull resistance 13.Embracing Complexity: A framework for creating from, with and as in homelessness contexts 14.EmpowerHER map of the city: Centring the lived experience of women in transition and 'homefree' affective perspectives on public space 15.Things Will Be Different: A relational documentary of resistance in the shadow of displacement Part 4: Opportunities for Change 16.Illusionary Homefullness 17.It Is All About George: Acts of Homefullness 18.The Possibility of Other, Better Worlds: Single mother organising as acts of Homefullness 19.Undesigning: Design at the end of the world Conclusion 20.Homefullness Manifesto: Every home needs a safe homeland