This class is a cross-listed course with both undergraduate (222) and graduate (723) students. While the grad students will have slightly different requirements, we will all be learning together and from each other.

With an emphasis on NYC, this class explores the situation of renters and owners in urban areas through a critical lens on race and capitalism. Using a variety of sources (e.g., texts, videos, podcasts) we will evaluate policies and seek to understand the impact of the housing market on neighborhood change and homelessness. This class also considers what different levels of government are doing (and not doing) to ensure that all residents have decent and safe housing. We will focus on a variety of aspects including public housing, rent regulation, mortgage finance, and other public and private programs that play a role in the development of housing in the city. Additionally, we will learn about activism related to affordable housing, tenant advocacy, and homelessness both in the U.S. and abroad.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

1. Gain a foundational understanding of how cities and communities approach the issue of housing and homelessness from a critical assessment of a variety of sources and perspectives.
2. Study historical and contemporary structures of racialized housing in the U.S.
3. Learn about the impacts of neoliberalism and housing financialization and alternative ways of housing.