Jamie P. Halsall

Housing has always had a close association with the lives refugees lead in exile and the settlement of refugees is, at its core, a housing issue. Refugees move from their home, perhaps through various other places, to finally arrive in a nation-state which provides them with security of status and the promise of assistance to continue their lives. At the foundation of this promise of refuge is the provision of a safe and secure home. Despite this, the knowledge base about housing and its significance in the lives of refugees is not fully understood and this risks understating the enormous impact housing has on the settlement of refugees more broadly. This book makes an important contribution to the literature on the relationship between sanctuary and housing. It draws on new empirical research to examine how refugees have transitioned through the housing system over the last three decades and how changes in policy and the routes into refugee status has mediated these experiences.

This book provides a critical understanding of contemporary issues within global society and how these relate to six case study examples (UK, USA, China, India, South Africa, Bangladesh, and Japan). The authors draw on their diverse experience to explore four major themes of contemporary relevance: overall aging of societies; governance and institutions; emergency services and public health provisions; and community activism and involvement. The key issues within the book--sociability, social capital, and community development--are examined in the context of an ever increasing aging world. The authors' sense of optimism is linked to growing evidence that community activism is on the rise and can effectively plug the gap between public need and provision of service.

This book provides a critical understanding of contemporary issues within global society and how these relate to six case study examples (UK, USA, China, India, South Africa, Bangladesh, and Japan). The authors draw on their diverse experience to explore four major themes of contemporary relevance: overall aging of societies; governance and institutions; emergency services and public health provisions; and community activism and involvement. The key issues within the book--sociability, social capital, and community development--are examined in the context of an ever increasing aging world. The authors' sense of optimism is linked to growing evidence that community activism is on the rise and can effectively plug the gap between public need and provision of service.