The Invention of the ‘Underclass’: A Study in the Politics of Knowledge

Abstract

appeared to come primarily from the green criteria’s proponents. Scholars may also find concern with the use of anecdotes. For example, to highlight the poor condition of existing “grey” housing, the author describes the plight of a child too exhausted to study at school due to his nightly guard duty protecting working family members from rat attack. While not doubting the truth of the story, it is also unlikely to be a typical experience of low-income housing tenants in most of the OECD. Issues of affordability and poor housing standards are dire enough for more typical depictions without the need to highlight such outliers. Conceptually, the book could be expanded to consider broader drivers for many of the issues presented. It instead seems to follow a standard view that housing affordability issues primarily relate to the supply/demand models of classical economics, rather than matters of money supply and the role of housing as a financialised asset (Sisson et al., 2019). In Australia for example, the existing and approved supply of housing suggests our affordability crisis is more much more complex (Murray, 2021). It would have also been interesting to see an assessment of the rate at which “green” housing can realistically be provided, and therefore the extent to which such an incremental approach can meaningfully contribute to improving climate outcomes within the urgent timeframes required. Because of its approach to research and straight-forward conceptual underpinnings, the book is perhaps less useful to researchers than it otherwise could be. That said, such criticisms should be qualified by a consideration of its clear intent; Bourland’s work is highly pragmatic in nature and almost certainly designed to be most comprehendible to a broader audience. The book provides many applied examples of implementation of successful and sustainable affordable housing developments. It also describes and justifies a well utilised and refined set of housing criteria that are likely of interest and use both for instruction, and for practitioners involved in housing policy and development. It is clear, accessible, timely, and has obvious significance. On this basis, the book provides a valuable contribution towards addressing an array of housing matters that are vital for the future well-being of our society, and which have previously been mostly considered in isolation. Grey to Green Communities is therefore likely to be a useful work for those seeking applied understanding of models for developing sustainable affordable housing.