Housing and family: an introduction

This paper introduces the Housing Studies special issue 'Housing and Family'. The issue consists of a collection of papers in which a number of connections between housing and family issues are highlighted. Three themes are addressed: the influence of the family of origin on housing characteristics and housing situations; the links between household events and housing events at the micro level of households; and homeownership as a context for parenthood at the macro level of countries. It is concluded that family is as much a context for understanding housing needs and residential outcomes as housing is a context for understanding family events.