Generation Rent and the (In)ability to ‘Settle Down’ HSA Annual Conference Thursday 7 th April 2016 Jennifer Hoolachan, Kim McKee, Tom Moore & Adriana Soaita 1

Outline n Policy context n Theoretical frameworks n Methodology n Key Findings n Conclusions 2

Policy Context (Scotland) 3 Homeownership: difficult to secure a mortgage without a substantial deposit Social housing: shrinking sector that has become residualised Growing PRS Young people (16-34) constitute a significant proportion of PRS tenants Source: CASD (2014)

Theoretical Frameworks n Youth transitions –Leave education, enter employment –Leave parental home for independent living –Get married and start a family n Socially constructed meanings of ‘home’ –Ontological security –Exercise control (autonomy) –Positive self identity 4

Private Renting n Short-assured tenancies (Scotland) –Landlord can end the tenancy at contractual breaks –Contracts typically last for 6-12 months –Rents are unregulated and charged at market rates n Additional issues: –Landlord inspections –Repairs, poor conditions and ‘revenge evictions’ –Unable to decorate/personalise 5

So… n In their transition to adulthood, young people may struggle to gain secure accommodation n This is particularly the case if they rent privately n They may also struggle to enjoy the qualities of ‘home’ 6

Methodology n Qualitative investigation n Two studies: 1.Mind the (Housing) Wealth Gap (Leverhulme) 2.Housing Generation Rent (Carnegie) 7

Participants n Study 1: –25 young people aged –Edinburgh, North Lanarkshire, Scottish Borders –12 semi-structured telephone interviews & 4 online focus groups (n=13) n Study 2: –19 key-actors with professional knowledge –11 voluntary and private organisations –Plus Aberdeen City, Dundee, Fife, Scottish Borders –16 semi-structured interviews (telephone or face-to-face 8

Key Finding 1 n ‘Settling down’, tenure insecurity & frustration “I feel particularly frustrated with having been in rented accommodation for so long and having to move on every year – it’s difficult to put down roots and it’s just got really expensive.” 9

Key Finding 2 n Concern about starting a family in PRS “We do want to have a family, we do want to get married, there are not going to be any of those things unless we have a solid house! If we rented, I could be 8 months pregnant and get a Notice to Quit and be exited out, next month! […] And I suppose there is lots of things, can you even make it your own? […] it is somebody else’s home and we are just living there!” 10

Key Finding 3 n Housing unaffordability and precarity “The thing that really gets on my nerves is the renting trap […] With rent being so high and bills and things, you don’t have the opportunity to get out of that. I like to emphasise I hate renting, I think it is money down the drain […] I hate to think of the thousands and thousands that was just thrown into someone else’s pocket! That really aggravates me.” 11

Key Finding 4 n Double disadvantage of housing and income insecurity “How are you supposed to meet anyone and actually form this wonderful [family] life, if you are always moving from place to place? […] you’re expected to up and move all the time and shift from place to place…It is just insane!” 12

Conclusions n Young people want to feel ontologically secure and in control of their home n PRS does not often provide these qualities of home n This leads to frustration and concern about being unable to ‘settle down’ which has implications for a young person’s transition to adulthood 13

But… n Private Housing (Tenancies) (Scotland) Bill n Removes the ‘no fault’ ground for ending tenancies n Introduction of housing tribunal n Issues remain – rent levels, landlord behaviours, inability to decorate. 14

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