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Avoidance strategies: stress, appraisal and coping in hostel accommodation

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  • Lynne McMordie

Abstract

Living in temporary accommodation (TA) can impact negatively on social and emotional well-being, particularly where it is poor-quality, large-scale, or congregate in nature. None-the-less, the ‘avoidance’ of TA, where an individual will sleep rough or squat when a bed space is available for their use, often provokes puzzlement on the part of the public, service providers and policy makers. Homeless people who abandon or avoid TA are often viewed as holding beliefs, characteristics or traits that render them unable or unwilling to make choices which prioritise their own well-being. Drawing on cognitive appraisal theory, and qualitative testimony from those with direct experience of TA in Belfast, this article challenges these perspectives, arguing that the avoidance of TA is better understood as a rational and reasoned response to an environment where intolerable levels of stress often pertain and individual control over stressors is extremely limited.

Suggested Citation

  • Lynne McMordie, 2021. "Avoidance strategies: stress, appraisal and coping in hostel accommodation," Housing Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 36(3), pages 380-396, March.
  • Handle: RePEc:taf:chosxx:v:36:y:2021:i:3:p:380-396
    DOI: 10.1080/02673037.2020.1769036
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    Cited by:

    1. Batterham, Deb & Tually, Selina & Coram, Veronica & McKinley, Kelly & Kolar, Violet & McNelis, Sean & Goodwin-Smith, Ian, 2023. "Crisis accommodation in Australia: now and for the future," SocArXiv n4f9d, Center for Open Science.
    2. Oliver Moss & Adele Irving, 2024. "Manifesting the Imagined Homeless Body: A Case Study of the Men’s Social Services Centre, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK," Urban Planning, Cogitatio Press, vol. 9.

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