In Defense of Housing: The Politics of Crisis

In every major city in the world there is a housing crisis. How did this happen and what can we do about it?

Everyone needs and deserves housing. But today our homes are being transformed into commodities, making the inequalities of the city ever more acute. Profit has become more important than social need. The poor are forced to pay more for worse housing. Communities are faced with the violence of displacement and gentrification. And the benefits of decent housing are only available for those who can afford it.

In Defense of Housing is the definitive statement on this crisis from leading urban planner Peter Marcuse and sociologist David Madden. They look at the causes and consequences of the housing problem and detail the need for progressive alternatives. The housing crisis cannot be solved by minor policy shifts, they argue. Rather, the housing crisis has deep political and economic roots--and therefore requires a radical response.

Author: Peter Marcuse, David Madden
Publisher: Verso
Published: 08/16/2016
Pages: 240
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.70lbs
Size: 8.20h x 5.40w x 0.80d
ISBN13: 9781784783549
ISBN10: 1784783544
BISAC Categories:
- Political Science | Public Policy | Social Policy
- Political Science | Public Policy | City Planning & Urban Development
- Social Science | Sociology | Urban

About the Author
Peter Marcuse is Emeritus Professor of Urban Planning at Columbia University's Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation. He has written extensively in English as well as German, in the US, the UK and various other European countries. His work has also appeared in newspaper and magazines such as the Nation, New York Newsday, Monthly Review, Shelterforce and many others.

David Madden is Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology and the Cities Programme at the London School of Economics. He has published academic articles in some of the leading urban studies journals, and is Editor at the journal CITY. He has also published reviews and commentary in outlets including the LSE Review of Books, Washington Post and the Guardian.