Power, Relationships and the Influence of Community Development in Alberta Community Housing

Canadian social housing exists in a web of power dynamics that creates a complex relationship between housing provider landlords and tenants. Housing providers have control over a significant aspect of tenants’ life through the approval and administration of their home. Community development, as a social process aims to inform and redistribute power in unbalanced relationships. Using Calgary Housing Company as a case study and conducting semi-structured interviews with staff and tenants, this thesis answers the question how are power relations between Alberta community housing landlords and tenants impacted by community development practises/projects? Findings indicate that power dynamics vary depending on how power is viewed, but that both groups feel a power imbalance in the relationship. The results suggest community development practices do impact the power relations, but such practices are understood and used more deliberately by landlords while tenants view the practises more inherently personal. Practical recommendations to help redistribute power are suggested in the conclusion of this work, including the need for further research into the relationship between social housing landlords and tenants.

Author dc:creator

• Campbell, Francis

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• de Vos, Esther

• College of interdisciplinary studies

Language dc:language.iso

en_US

Identifier URI

https://doi.org/10.25316/ir-20336

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:null:10613/28768