Paper short abstract:

Small dwellings, such as caravans, can be a viable, though not often desirable, option for single older women living on the edge of homelessness. By imbuing such unsuitable spaces with a sense of belonging, these women may sustain a home while averting the stigma of an ‘almost homeless’ identity.

Paper long abstract:

Not all of those opting for ‘minimalist’ housing are making an intentional lifestyle choice. Single older women who have been squeezed out of conventional housing find themselves cornered into small-scale living. In 2019, I interviewed 30 women in northern New South Wales and south-east Queensland while undertaking research on the experiences of inadequately housed single older women. Among my findings was the ability of many of these women to make their place of shelter, however inadequate, feel somewhat homely. In addressing ‘what makes a house a home’ these women illustrate how “placemaking tactics” (Ruddick 1996) can be used to transform precarious forms of shelter into homely places.

In this paper I share the experiences of several single older women who have made a home out of a caravan or a bus after finding themselves on the edge of homelessness. One of their placemaking tactics is to tie their home to their sense of self, often by imbuing it with memories of the past. Another is to tap into the #vanlife or #tinyhome movements to reimagine their straitened circumstances as the life of a minimalist. Yet another is to remain outside the public gaze by concealing their ‘almost homeless’ identity.

These placemaking tactics serve to avert the stigmatisation that single older women experience when living in unsuitable housing. The women’s housing narratives that I present illustrate how alternative modes of dwelling – even those that are sub-standard – can be rendered more liveable by redefining what makes a house a home.