HS 424F — Housing in the US: From Building Wealth to Homelessness

Meets for one-half semester and yields half-course credit. Open to PhD and MPP students only.

An essential human need, few things intersect and influence as many aspects of our lives as housing does. At its minimal meaning, a home provides shelter from the elements. Housing provides a private space for family life, relaxation. The location of where the home sits matters, determining access to quality schools, parks, transportation, shopping and much more. And housing can be a major component of building financial wealth. As this incomplete list of various aspects of housing indicates, housing impacts people in many different ways, and this course will provide a general introduction on some of the dominant themes: Homeownership, renters, housing instability and homelessness, neighborhoods and segregation, as well as the impact of housing on health and mental health. This module will present an introduction to a range of these separate and connected topics. Usually offered every year.
Ms. Meschede