Formal Housing Provision Under Neoliberalism in the United States: Privatization as the New Enclosure and the Defense of Public Housing

Abstract

Property in the United States has been used as a mechanism for speculative investment and wealth generation since its earliest days. Policies meant to address ownership throughout the history of the country, like the Homestead Act and the G.I. Bill, highlighted and further embedded the idea that property – especially housing – is not only the best method through which to build wealth, but also an indication that the underlying ideology positions housing as a commodity. This ideology has been further reinforced by more recent policies by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, including HOPE VI and the Rental Assistance Demonstration program, which – coupled with austerity measures – have contributed to the perceived demise of public housing in the United States. But as we enter a new political moment, resistance to this ideology is becoming more widespread as alternatives to market-based solutions to ongoing housing crises gain mainstream attention. In confronting the insidious ideology that perpetuates the idea of housing as a commodity, the path is being paved for greater state participation in housing provision and stability for renters and low-income owners alike.