I try to pay attention to housing changes in the suburban community in which I live. Here are some questions I ask as I observe both existing and new homes:

1. What existed here before this current residence?
2. What motivated the property owners to tear down the existing home and build these homes (and in these particular styles)?
3. How do existing and new homes interact with their surroundings?
4. What does the inside of the home look and feel like? The outside provides some clues but interiors can be quite different from house to house.
5. What happened at the community level (decisions, regulations, proposals, discussions, etc.) for these homes to exist in this form?
6. In the long run, will these changes be viewed positively in the community or negatively?
7. Who are the people who live in these homes (who is this housing for)? Are they the same or different kinds of people who are in the community?

We can measure features of old and new homes and look at the aggregate data. For example, we could try to look at the “average” home largely based on standardized traits. These figures are helpful but they also leave out other important traits of homes: what is their character? How are they experienced by the owners and the neighborhood and how do they shape social actors? How do they contribute to community life? What do they say about the priorities of the occupants and the community?

In sum, homes are not just part of the housing stock. Each house has the potential to shape and be shaped by people who interact with its material and symbolic presence. And when the housing changes, it can alter existing understandings.