Sophie House and Krystle Okafor are both based at New York University. Building on the work of contemporary abolitionists1 in the justice and prison systems, they adapted abolitionist methods to study housing policy.
House and Okafor review historic racism in housing policy, including redlining2 and predatory inclusion3. They argue that racist policies are also at work in public housing, where tenants are subject to heightened police surveillance and contend daily with bad maintenance and the threat of displacement.
To these examples, they might consider adding the findings from an investigation into the demolition of Cabrini Green, a public housing project that at one time was home to 3,000 families.
The investigation by the Better Government Association finds that although jobs were promised for thousands of Cabrini Green residents, fewer than a hundred were ever hired. Even when chastised by the Department of Housing and Urban Development for failing to comply with government mandated requirements to hire Cabrini Green residents, the results have not improved. The Better Government Association‘s investigation stands as testimony that racism continues to pervade housing policy and the construction business. Read more at Block Club Chicago4: Cabrini-Green Residents Were Promised 2,500 Construction Jobs. They Got 40
Continuing with their abolitionist framework, House and Okafor discuss what housing policy might look like through through an abolitionist lens. They identify that Low Income Housing Tax Credits and Section 8 vouchers do not fundamentally change the reality of housing for Black and poor families. Reforming them will not substantially change the economic opportunities or build wealth for Black households.
House and Okafor conclude their paper with a brief discussion about being able to recognize policies and practices that do not perpetuate racism. As one example, they identify engaging people with lived experience in all aspects of housing work.
To this end, the authors could reference the work of Colloqate, an architectural design firm based in New Orleans. Rather than waiting for legislated community consultations, which typically take place when a design is rendered, Colloqate hires Community Design Advocates (CDAs) at the start of a project. The CDAs seek out and record community opinion and are responsible for relaying this knowledge to the design team. CDAs are also intimately engaged as the design progresses. Examples of Colloqate’s work are discussed in Next City5: How Community Design Advocates Can Be a Force for Design Justice
To read more about House and Okafor’s ideas about abolition in the context of housing policy, see the N.Y.U. Journal of Legislation & Public Policy: Under One Roof: Building an Abolitionist Approach to Housing Justice
Footnotes
- Abolitionism is often understood to be about the abolition of slavery following the American Civil War. However, following the formal abolition of slavery, laws and policies were put in place that legalized discriminatory practices. The Jim Crow Laws are one example. Contemporary abolitionist movements are about identifying the artifacts of racism and discrimination that persist in current law and policy and replacing them with democratic institutions.
- Try: Redlining: What Was It? And Should We Be Asking ‘What Is It?’ Because It’s Still With Us, And It’s Bad
- Try: Housing Racism: The Diseased Underbelly Of The American Dream
- The Better Government Association’s full report is available here: Cabrini-Green: A History of Broken Promises
- Next City provides three free reads per month. For more free reads, you will need sign up with an email address.
