Neoliberalism, Contingency and Urban Policy: The Case of Social Housing in Ontario

Abstract

Various authors have argued that common understandings of neoliberalism are flawed because they do not adequately account for its geographical contingency or internal contradictions. Many have suggested that neoliberalism is either too internally riven with contradiction to be considered a singular consistent project, or that its implementation is so locally contingent that we cannot plausibly speak of one ideal-type placeless ideology. Primarily based on interviews with over half of the municipal housing providers in Ontario, this article explores the extent to which the meta-ideas of neoliberalism are filtered and manifest (or not) locally. Social policy has been neoliberalized in Ontario at least since the advent of the 'common sense revolution' in 1995, when a Tory government was elected on a platform of neoliberal reform. The experience of social housing in the province, before, after and during the transition offers a useful window into the debate about the dissonance (or lack thereof) between ideal-type and contingent neoliberalism. Based on this case, we argue that, despite its obvious conceptual flaws, it is politically and analytically important to understand ideal-type neoliberalism better. Copyright (c) 2006 The Authors. Journal Compilation (c) 2006 Joint Editors and Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Neoliberalism and Homelessness in the Western Canadian Arctic

“…Aside from verbal accounts from research participants of detoxification services once offered at the location of the current emergency shelter, there is no historical evidence of addiction or mental health services leading up to the 1990s in Inuvik. Arguably, the shift to neoliberal governance-manifest in the creation and maintenance of conditions favourable to economic investment as well as the gutting of social services starting in the 1980s-illustrates the direct impact of changes to social policies guiding housing and the surge in homelessness across Canada and other western democracies (Caragata, 2006;Cloke, Milbourne, & Widdowfield, 2000;Hackworth & Moriah, 2006).…”

“…Maintaining continuity in service delivery is challenging enough in times of economic growth, but when nonprofits are faced with funding shortfalls, maintaining services becomes almost impossible. The low wages associated with paid positions and the heavy dependence on volunteers are two factors that leave nonprofit organizations in a state of flux, struggling to survive (Covington, 1994;Enjolras, 2000;Hackworth & Moriah, 2006;Hall & Reed, 1998). Added to this, employees are often lured away from their nonprofit positions to government jobs that offer higher pay, more benefits, and long-term stability.…”

Perception on poverty and inequality concerning social housing

“…I argue, following Hackworth and Abigail (2006) that the municipal housing providers and their revanchist attitude play a key role on how the neoliberalization of housing policy unfolds. I found evidence that reinforces GerDuijzings ' (2010, p. 109) the point that "some of the features of neo-liberalism have taken their purest form in Eastern Europe".…”

The spatialities of actually existing neoliberalism in glasgow, 1977 to present

“…A palpable mood of hostility against those who might use and abuse the notion has simultaneously grown. According to Hackworth and Moriah (2006), sceptics question the integrity of the concept of neoliberalism on the grounds that as it has become embedded in nations, regions and cities in contextually specific ways, neoliberal doctrine has become hybridized and has crystallized into complex and mutant 'actually existing' forms. In addition, these forms often contradict the principles from which they derive and in any event run in parallel with other ideologies and programmes of reform.…”