Home is where the heart is, according to young people

Across the globe, living conditions vary wildly, and the concept of home naturally shifts with them. Yet, our report has found that there are striking similarities in the ways 18 to 24 year olds understand the concept of home. Many of our respondents voiced the same fears, anxieties, hopes and aspirations, despite living in different cultures and c... See more

Kwame Lowe, co-founder of Kin Structures, Associate Lecturer at Central Saint Martins, and one of IMPERMACULTURE’s expert voices argues that “recent generations have been deprived of something very fundamental that we don’t talk about, which is our connection to the land and being able to put our stake in the ground.”

There is a clear, resounding divide between young people’s aspirations, hopes and dreams, and the reality they find themselves in. Currently, a majority of 18 to 24 year olds still want to own a home in the future, but our survey shows that this is increasingly seen as a pipe dream for many. “I would like to buy a home in the future,” one female re... See more

“It’s become accepted that we can exist in isolation from other people and our physical environments,” he continues, “even though both are fundamental to our quality of life as human beings.”

Technology is forcing us to question the boundaries of our homes and communities. The climate crisis is forcing us to rethink how we treat our shared planet. When asked what their top concerns were for 2022, half of the young people we surveyed said ‘the climate crisis’ — more than double the number who said ‘mental health’ or ‘my relationships’. S... See more

the concept of home has evolved into something more transient and intangible.

“[Home is] a place, feeling, energy, that encourages me to express myself fully with no limitations, that keeps me grounded while allowing me to think and dream big, being surrounded by people who encourage me, motivate me, and keep me in check”

With this in mind, is it any wonder young people’s ideas about what ‘home’ means have shifted radically? Should it really come as a surprise that for the generation now coming of age, the concept of ‘home’ is more unstable, impermanent, and deeply-rooted in emotion than ever before?

while only 13 per cent of 18 to 24 year olds associate home with physical space, 15 per cent said they associate it with a sense of self. Although there were notable differences across cultures, young people consistently imagined home as an almost sacred sanctuary — a space to escape, find refuge and, crucially, to be free of judgement.