Building Pressure
Elaine Baker
My project, Building Pressure explores the students at the University of Mississippi and families who struggle to find affordable and accessible housing in Oxford, Mississippi the rapidly growing university town. I will document the socioeconomic divide and what compromises low-income students and families must make to find affordable housing. The project will also highlight personal stories of people. I hope to capture Oxford’s luxury apartments to neglected properties. I aim to contrast economic growth with affordability struggles. The narrative will focus on the tension between expansion and accessibility, questioning who truly benefits from Oxford’s booming housing market. Through intimate portraits and environmental shots, my goal is to shine a light on housing inequality in a college town and the need for sustainable development.
Elaine Baker is from Hopkinsville, Kentucky. She is a senior, majoring in Southern Studies with a minor in marketing. Her research interests focus on the intersections of culture, economics, and development in Oxford, particularly on real estate and community change. She has explored how the housing market has changed due to the rapid growth in students. Elaine’s current documentary photography project examines the housing crisis in Oxford, Mississippi, capturing the socioeconomic divide, the impact of rising costs, and the housing availability on people. With a strong interest in real estate and marketing, she hopes to continue exploring how economic and cultural shifts influence housing and community development.
