Contested spaces of homelessness and being houseless: mobilising media in action-oriented research

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This research explores the complex spaces of homelessness andhouselessness. In public, policy and academic discourses, the term'homelessness' has been used in a way that is pervasive andproblematic, often as a catch-all for the loss of house and home.This does not fit with the lived experiences of many 'homeless'people, nor the realities witnessed by the organisations thatsupport them. The starting point of the research is the significanceof 'home' as a non-geographically bound, multifaceted humanexperience, typically understood as shaped by emotionalgeographies, place-making, social exclusion, and sense of belonging.Drawing on social and geographical theories, the research seeks todevelop the concept of houselessness. The project asks how arehomeless and houseless identities constructed and proliferated, bywhom, and why? What impact do temporary dwelling spaces haveon homeless and houseless people and vice versa? And how canmedia be deployed to have a positive influence on the lives ofhomeless and houseless people? These issues will be explored withpeople who are experiencing homelessness/houselessness inNewcastle upon Tyne, through interviews, experience mapping andparticipant observation. In addition, the collaboration with themedia advocacy organisation Headliners will lead to the productionof a video documentary, that interrogates and challengesconventional depictions and understandings of homelessness inplace, and brings the voices of people experiencing these conditionsinto the policy debate. The research will result in a series of highquality academic outputs and non-academic impacts.