Making our neighbourhood work : exploring a new perspective in public housing

Arising from its origins in the experiences and writings of public housing residents in the Neighbourhood That Works project (NTW 2008), this paper uses a governmentality theoretical framework to review the tenant participation and housing literature and its use of the idea of empowerment. The paper then turns to the types of processes that have been specifically used to realize tenant participation, a review of these processes, their failure to engage, and the rise of an 'apathy' and 'dependency' discourse. Building on this review, a gap in this literature is identified that points toward the need for new types of participation spaces for public residents. The paper will then discuss my participatory action research 'with' NTW, a resident group who are attempting to respond to this need with a new 'resident centered' process they call 'Village'.