Social Housing Is Becoming a Mainstream Policy Goal in the US
Slowly but surely, the idea of social housing — a public housing model most commonly associated with the socialist government of “Red Vienna” — is moving from being a leftist dream to a concrete policy agenda item in a number of US states.
Cover art for “California Housing Corporation: The Case for a Public Sector Developer.” (Alfred Twu)
A bill introduced this month in California’s legislature would lay the foundation for publicly developed and owned housing for people of all incomes: social housing. If it passes, it will mark a monumental shift in the state’s housing system.
This comes at a time when the housing market, dominated by private for-profit interests, has failed Californians. More than 2 million California households reported “little to no confidence” in their ability to cover rent in February 2021, and a recent Moody’s report suggests 10 million American households are behind on rent by an average of $5,600. According to a recent UCLA study, at least 10,000 COVID deaths and 400,000 infections nationwide are attributable to evictions. At least 150,000 Californians are without a home — and this atrocious number predates the pandemic.
Robust tenant protections and rent cancellation and/or relief are urgently needed to address the immediate issues facing tenants. Social housing is not a substitute for that. But for a long-term, internationally proven solution to the housing crisis, social housing is the answer.
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