The housing experiences of young people on the Isle of Mull

Abstract

This thesis explores the experience of young people on the Isle of Mull and whether and how institutional innovation could help to alleviate housing market constraint for young people living in rural areas. The research identified that young people were particularly constrained in housing markets due to lack of finance and being in the early stages of employment with difficulty accessing housing compounded by the 2007/08 economic downturn. A review of the literature on rural housing markets revealed that challenging supply and demand issues impacted upon the development of housing and constrained rural markets restricted the housing market for young people, limiting choice. The research explored the agency of young people in rural areas and the structure of the housing market, specifically the institutional actors involved in rural housing markets including, but not limited to, the construction industry, land owners, planners, government and third sector organisations. The research focused on the Isle of Mull, off the west coast of Scotland, to explore the experiences of young people living in a remote rural environment and the problems associated with rural housing markets. Questionnaires were completed by young people who were at school on the Isle of Mull and thirty-three semi-structured interviews were conducted with institutional actors involved in rural housing markets and young people living on the Isle of Mull. The research adopted Clapham’s (2005) housing pathways approach to explore the choices of young people in the rural housing market, and Williamson’s (2000; 1998) New Institutional Economics framework (Economics of Institutions) to examine the structure of the housing market on the Isle of Mull. The research highlighted that third-sector organisations could help to bring institutional actors together in the rural housing market and therefore help to alleviate housing constraint for young people on the Isle of Mull.