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. Households are
subjected to eviction and foreclosure. Communities face gentrification and displacement. And
the benefits of decent housing are only available for those who can afford it. In Defense of
Housing is the definitive statement by leading urban planner Peter Marcuse and sociologist
David Madden. They diagnose the causes and consequences of the housing crisis and detail the
need for progressive alternatives. Minor policy changes will not solve they problem they
argue. Rather the housing crisis has deep political and economic roots and therefore requries
a radical response.
