Today’s episode centers on some thoughts I’ve had regarding socialized housing, with housing as a guaranteed human right instead of a commodity that enriches a few on the backs of us all. Here are some relevant and related links.
Many people think they are 1%ers, but unless they’re clearing at least a minimum of $700k (and typically far more) in yearly wages, they are not. Check it out at Investopedia.
It’s also worth knowing that Utah found the solution to houselessness, but thanks to the greed and cruelty of the landlord/owner/ruling classes, the product was defunded, and as a result, chronic houselessness is back on the rise after having dropped by an incredible 91% under their Housing First model.
I mention in the podcast the fact that many full-time workers are now houseless. This has been covered by the media, but somehow most people I meet seem blissfully unaware of it. We in the working class are all closer to becoming unhoused than we are to be in a position to buy a mansion for millions, so should concern you personally to see this. There’s at least one YouTube Channel devoted specifically to stories of unhoused workers. That is a poor reflection on us as a society. If this is the height of capitalism, what do we have to look forward to as it crashes?
While it sickens me that I have to provide justification for the idea that no human being should be deprived of housing, I wanted to provide you a partial list of some organizations you may have heard of who also have taken a stance on this issue:
The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights
National Economic & Social Rights Initiative