The Housing Act of 1949 pledged a decent home for every American family. But the interpretations of what that means and who is responsible for it have varied widely as a result of wide swings in the societal, political and economic forces at play during the 65 years since the law was enacted. In his 2014 Loeb Lecture “Affordable Housing: It’s Just (A) Right,” coming up on May 9 at the GSD, Jim Stockard assesses how we are doing at keeping our 1949 promise. First there’s the question of definition–is housing a basic necessity or a commodity, an investment or a mark of status, a business, a tax base, a vehicle for community development? Stockard argues that we have enough money to insure housing security for all our citizens, but it’s a matter of political will and strategies. He says it’s time to change the questions we are asking, and possibly time to eliminate HUD. At the root is the fundamental question, “What kind of nation do we want to be?”
Loeb Fellowship Program Lecture: James Stockard, “Affordable Housing: It’s Just (A) Right”
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