Over the last half century, the federal government has gutted public housing in this country. Searching for alternative solutions, lawmakers have put most of their energy into programs such as the Low Income Housing Tax Credit program, Housing Choice Vouchers (formerly Section 8), the Housing Trust Fund, and dozens of local and statewide programs. All of these measures attempt to provide housing for people making incomes at 60 percent of the median or below. In spite of these efforts, homelessness rates are rising, waitlists are long, black and brown communities are being displaced, and not enough people are actually gaining access to the housing they need. Furthermore, focus on low-income demographics ignores an increasingly burdened portion of the workforce: those with middle incomes.

Our nation spends more political capital and money each year, but it still falls short of the urgent demand for affordable housing that cities around the country face. We continue to make these investments while housing prices continue to rise. The problem with all of these efforts is that they fail to address the central issue of the housing crisis: commodification.