‘You make a home out if it, you make a place of it’: some unexpected narratives from a social housing estate in Durban

• DOI: 10.1353/trn.2017.0003
• Publication Date: 2017-05-28T13:01:13Z
• Authors: Kira Erwin
• Keywords: Housing estate

In this article I examine people's sense of place and belonging in Kenneth Gardens, a subsidised rental estate Durban, South Africa. Gardens is one dwindling number state-subsidised units inherited from the apartheid regime. offer background context to itself, as well broader discussion state-delivered housing here, elsewhere. The provision state comes with many assumptions about how will benefit residents tenants. But, be examined article, there are both expected unexpected consequences living housing. Housing developments shaped by people who live them unpredictable ways, just belonging, locally within society, these units. explore process make identities through drawing on three years oral histories data fieldwork Gardens. argue that various models should locations for investigating not only what it means home, but built forms shape ideas self, neighbourhoods social belonging. This research aims contribute towards patchwork residents' narratives experiences Research kind assists understanding shapes landscape Africa far beyond form themselves.