In Defense of Housing

Comprehension

Before we start pursuing transformative remedies towards the end of a more humane housing system, we must first make sure that we understand the ideas and analysis set forth by the authors. Answer the following in your own words, and try to limit the number of sentences you use. You can visit the summary sections that address the question to check your work. 

1. What is the “housing question” as proposed by Engels, and what does it prompt us to consider about the modern housing system?

2. What are the three key factors that enable the hypercommodification of housing? What are some examples of these factors?

3. The authors describe ontological security, a sense of emotional stability in one’s home environment, as “a subjective state, but [one that] depends on a number of structural conditions.” What are some of these structural conditions that enable a sense of ontological security?

4. Throughout the text, the authors reference numerous feminist analyses of how the home has always represented a site of struggle for women. Why might it be important to center these critiques in the movement for housing justice?  

5. Using case studies of different social movements throughout history, the authors argue that the home is a critical site of protest and activism. What features of housing make it such an important place to cultivate liberation and self-determination? How are these features connected to the author’s argument for a radical right to housing?

6. Make a timeline of the various New York housing movements that are mentioned in the text. Using the guide for help if necessary, list the various characteristics of each movement. Who were they led by? What was their political analysis? When you are done, make note of what characteristics these movements share and where they differ.

7. Why is neither of the myths about the state presented in the text (the meddling state vs. the benevolent state) true? Can you think of any political discussions in your own life where someone invoked either of these myths?

8. Are there any texts (speeches, laws, manifestos) you can think of that invoke or affirm a universal right to housing? How can the affirmation of housing rights be used to change the housing system?