Making sense of the housing trajectories of young people

Debates in housing and urban studies have often neglected, or at least underplayed, relevant theory and evidence from other research areas. Equally, an appreciation of the importance of housing and a proper understanding of housing market dynamics and shifts in housing policy are sometimes lacking in accounts of contemporary social change. A key point of contact between these different literatures is the process of transition from the parental home to independent living. Describing it as a ‘process’ rather than a ‘moment’ is a central theme of this book and in the wider literature on contemporary youth transitions. The idea that on a particular day we pack up and say goodbye forever to the parental home has never accurately captured the tentative messiness of this moment in our lives. For some it may well have been that definitive. But for others it has often been experienced as a more gradual transition, perhaps initially involving short periods away for training or work or in some cases compulsory military service. Initial forays into the housing and labour markets, and into relationships, may go wrong and necessitate a return ‘home’.