Course Description
In the United States, housing is treated as a financial asset — something to be bought and sold. But in many countries, housing is treated as a human right and affordable housing is viewed as social infrastructure comparable to parks, schools, hospitals, courts, etc. because when everyone has a home everyone’s social and economic well-being is enhanced. European Social Housing has become an aspirational model that has gained traction around the US. Yet many aspects of that model are simply incompatible with the US’ current housing delivery system. This panel features experts in both systems and will focus on the aspects of European Social Housing that are most replicable in the US.
This webinar is part of a series produced by the AIA Right-to-Housing Working Group. In each episode, we ask: “What does the right to housing mean in practice?” and “How can architects contribute?”
Learning Objectives
1) Participants will learn about key aspects of social housing in Austria, the Netherlands and Italy in comparison to the US housing delivery systems.
2) Participants will learn about the aspects of the European social housing models that are most transferable to the US.
3) Participants will understand that homelessness and housing instability is a choice and solvable with political will and financial resources.
4) Participants will learn about opportunities for advocacy on the federal level within the US’s current housing delivery system that could move the needle in assisting affordable housing nationwide.
Panelists
Natalie Bonnewit, Bonnewit Development Services
Helmi Hisserich, Director of Portland Housing Bureau
Ben Metcalf, Managing Director of the Terner Center for Housing Innovation at UC Berkeley
Hanneke Van Deursen, Bloomberg Harvard City Hall Fellow
1 LU/HSW (pending approval)