A new book, co-edited by housing law expert Professor Helen Carr, explores the emergent and internationally widespread phenomenon of precariousness in relation to the home.
Law and the Precarious Home: Socio Legal Perspectives on the Home in Insecure Times (Hart Publishing) brings together the innovative work of leading socio-legal scholars across fields such as housing law, labour law and welfare law to explore the complex reality of the insecure home. The book is co-edited by Professor Brendan Edgeworth (University of New South Wales) and Professor Caroline Hunter (University of York).
Divided into five distinct sections, Law and the Precarious Home explores the many ways in which precariousness is manifested in legal and social change across different jurisdictions.
Professor Carr has co-authored a chapter introducing the contemporary ‘precarisation’ of law and society together with a chapter exploring ‘A case study of thermal inefficiency in English homes.’
Professor Carr has research interests in the regulation of housing and homelessness as well as social welfare law. She has recently completed a research project on shared ownership with Professor David Cowan from Bristol University and Dr Alison Wallace from York University.
She also sits as a part-time judge with the First Tier Tribunal (Property) Chamber and is currently a member of a Civil Justice Council working group on property dispute resolution. She has worked with the Welsh government on proposals to reform housing law and the Renting Homes (Wales) Bill is currently going through the National Assembly.
Additional contributors to the book from Kent Law School include PhD students Laura Binger and Gabriele D’Adda, Lecturer Dr Ed Kirton-Darling and Kent Law Clinic and Immigration and Asylum Solicitors Research Assistant Richard Warren (who is also a PhD scholar). Laura has research interests in housing activism and has written a chapter on ‘Precocity and defence in temporary accommodation: The King Hill Hostel Campaign, 1965-66.’ Gabriele’s research focuses on the relationship between social movements, legal framework and right to housing in Spain. He has co-authored a chapter entitled ‘Responding to the Precarisation of housing: A case study of PAH Barcelona.’ Dr Kirton-Darling’s chapter is on ‘Safe and sound precariousness, compartmentation and death at home’ and Richard’s chapter is entitled ‘The UK as a precarious home.’