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Ten - The COVID-19 Lockdown and the Impact of Poor-Quality Housing on Occupants in the UK
- Edited by Brian Doucet, University of Waterloo, Ontario, Pierre Filion, University of Waterloo, Ontario, Rianne van Melik
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- Book:
- Volume 2: Housing and Home
- Published by:
- Bristol University Press
- Published online:
- 13 April 2023
- Print publication:
- 22 July 2021, pp 109-118
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- Chapter
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Summary
Introduction
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted and transformed the lives of many people across the globe. An accurate understanding of the nature of these changes will take a number of years to materialize. What is clear, however, is the way housing has been elevated by the pandemic, not only in the way housing has been utilized by governments mandating populations to remain in their homes, but also in the role our homes play in our lives. It is clear that experiences of lockdown, and associated measures, will have been acutely influenced by housing. In particular, there will be distinct differences in experiences of lockdown depending on the availability of safe, secure, and decent accommodation. It is evident that people most at risk of experiencing the worst impacts of the pandemic, and the steps taken to mitigate the spread of the virus, are those already living with some form of pre-existing vulnerability, inequality, or precarity; in particular those in receipt of benefits, living with long-term conditions, in precarious employment, or those living in insecure housing or with poor housing conditions. As such, it is clear the experiences of people affected by multiple vulnerabilities should be documented and exposed (Gurney, 2020; Holmes et al, 2020; see also Tunstall, Chapter Two; Warnock, Chapter Twelve; Perry et al, Chapter Thirteen).
This chapter presents key findings from new rapid empirical research undertaken within the UK. Drawing on interviews with residents and professionals, we present the concerns, impacts, and lived experiences of respondents dealing with poor-quality housing.
Housing quality in the UK and its impacts
The quality of housing in the UK is variable across tenures and localities. The nature of the poorest-quality housing in the UK has been well established in the literature with data on its prevalence routinely collected as part of annual housing surveys. We are able to ascertain the proportion of dwellings which meet the Decent Homes Standard as recognized by indicators that assess homes for safety, state of repair, access and quality of facilities, and thermal comfort (Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG), 2006). Housing quality issues tend to reside in the private-rented sector (PRS) followed by owner-occupation. Although there are shortcomings in the social housing sector, as a whole social housing is of high quality with the vast majority meeting the Standard.
5 - Exploring Young People’s Experiences of Growing up Under COVID-19
- Edited by Helen Kara, Su-Ming Khoo, National University of Ireland, Galway
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- Book:
- Researching in the Age of COVID-19
- Published by:
- Bristol University Press
- Published online:
- 23 March 2021
- Print publication:
- 23 October 2020, pp 58-67
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Summary
Introduction
With many countries still in some form of lockdown, young people stand to be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in quite specific ways. Children and young people's voices have been notably absent in media coverage about COVID-19. Measures are being proposed, but often with little consideration of the views and perspectives of young people (Fox, 2020). Research highlights the role and value of children in responding to crisis situations (Ray, 2010; Save the Children, 2015); however, little is known about children and young people's roles specifically in major public health crises such as pandemics. This chapter draws on early lessons from an international longitudinal participatory research project involving young people as co-researchers and experts in their own lives (Thomson, 2008; Abebe, 2009). The project seeks to understand the experiences and realities of young people living under COVID-19 according to their own priorities, concerns and terms of reference and puts forward recommendations for how to promote young people's wellbeing, rights and participation during and after the pandemic. The chapter focuses on the challenges (logistical and ethical) of engaging young people from seven countries in participatory action research while working entirely online. It provides an overview of the research methodology and outlines how young people were recruited to the project. At the time of writing (July 2020), this project is ongoing. Thus, we provide several reflections on our experience of designing an international study online and present a number of emerging findings.
The research approach
In keeping with the values of the research team, the study adopts a child and youth-centred, rights-based approach involving young people documenting and making sense of their own views and experiences while also undertaking their own research projects into their own interests, priorities and concerns. The project is informed and framed by three theoretical influences. First, a whole systems approach to inquiry (Burns, 2007) seeks to understand the dynamic interaction between COVID-19 and young people in terms of multiple layers of contextual influence (Bronfenbrenner, 1979) that play out in children's lived realities – their family, peers, community, socio-structural position, political economy and the virtual world.