Unraveling a Relationship: Single Motherhood and the Practices of Public Housing

Abstract

The prevalence of mother-led families in public housing is widely recognized, yet the relationship between this form of social program and single motherhood has not received sufficient critical analysis. Exploring this relationship but departing from previous studies, this study focused on the management practices of public housing during its period of expansion in Ontario, Canada. The analysis uncovered and documented two contradictory tendencies: A variety of practices indirectly attracted mother-led families to public housing and facilitated their residence there, whereas explicit regulations excluded them from locating in public housing. These complex and conflicting tendencies, in interaction with social stereotypes and judgments, contributed to the formation of a highly public and visible image of both single motherhood and public housing.