Is housing a human right — or should it be? What obligations would that place on government, and on each of us, to ensure that everyone has access to adequate housing? Casey Dawkins addresses these and many other questions in his new book, Just Housing. Dr. Dawkins traces the history of land and housing reformers across American history, and how our conceptions of housing justice have shifted over time. We talk about what it would mean for every household to enjoy housing security, regardless of whether they rent or own, and Dawkins poses the provocative argument that private property is not the cause of housing injustice, but the solution to it. We also discuss Dawkins’ proposal for a “negative income tax” and universal housing allowance that could address many of the current injustices and inequities in the housing market.

Show notes:

• Dawkins, C. J. (2021). Just housing: The moral foundations of American housing policy. MIT Press.
• History of the right to shelter in New York.
• Waldron, J. (2019). Homelessness and the Issue of Freedom. J. Const. L., 27.
• Goetz, E. G. (2019). Fair Housing Is About Choice, Not Integration: 50 Years of the Fair Housing Act. University of Minnesota Center for Urban & Regional Affairs. 
• Goetz, E. G. (2020). The One-Way Street of Integration: Fair Housing and the Pursuit of Racial Justice in American Cities. Cornell University Press.