Housing - social analysis (Chapter 3) 
(This is a version of a discussion sheet from a Sociology course at The King’s University College)

It’s best to talk about HOUSING INSECURITY (getting and keeping a place), since this corresponds to lived experience better. 

What are the effects of seeing Housing as a “Commodity” or as a “Right’”?
	(A “commodity” is an object, the value of which is in its economic buying and selling.)

If “Housing=Commodity” - then the focus is on the property owners. The rights go to them, which means that you have no right to housing unless you OWN your home.
For example, in Alberta:

1.	There are NO Caps on rental increases (landlord can raise your rent by any amount they see fit. If the rent gets too expensive you have to move - and for a family, that might mean switching schools, away from work, away from kids’ friends, etc.)

2.	The Law is: “Landlord must provide a safe place (“safe” means “in accord with minimum health standards”.) Your housing does not have to be nice, pleasant, quiet or stress-free. It does not have to be “safe” for your children to play outside, or even inside. It has to have running water, and a workable toilet, and not too much mould. 
3.	Landlord-Tenant disputes go to court (an expensive and complicated process)

HOUSING INSECURITY (getting and keeping a place)
What are the effects of “insecurity”?
For housing, is “any old place” acceptable? 
What if you have kids? What would society think of you if you kept kids in “any old place?” What if someone called Child Services?

What are the effects of insecurity on the community? 
(By the way, did you answer the similar question above on an individualized basis, e.g., effects of insecurity for the person/family? tut-tut, sharpen your sociological imagination!)

How much more than “any old place” would decent, affordable housing cost?
CASE STUDY
Average 2 bdrm appt rent in Edmonton = $690
	What income would you need for this rent to be less than 30% of your income 
(30% is what is considered “affordable” housing. A reasonable amount of income must go for food, and other aspects of meaningful participation in society - such as paying all the school supplies, fees and extras)?
	Now, calculate an income based on Alberta’s minimum wage.1

	Now, double it (which brings you to well above the average Wal-Mart or fast-food employee’s wage). How’s the affordability now?

HOMELESSNESS
There are different types of Homelessness
	Rooflessness - (sleeping outdoors)
	Houselessness - living in short-term accommodations
	Inferior Housing - basic facilities are lacking or inadequate
	Insecure Housing - subject to whim, rent, access 
(Sometimes called “relative homelessness” but we too often see the world in terms of “relative/objective” and this does not immediately appear as “without housing.” The facts are that we experience the world in ways that are independent of so-called “objective facts”. For example, if you wonder if your landlord will trundle you out of there any month, you won’t feel like you are “at home.”
	
The results of insecure housing show up in many ways, including 
	poorer health ()
	Reduced commitment to the community
	psychological effects
	isolation
	minimized possibilities for neighbours to interact
	declining social capital (tight networks and shared values and hopes in a community)
	increases of fear and sense of risk (e..g, fear of homeless people)
	stereotypes of parents who “can’t take care of their families”
 
Again, different types of homelessness, require different solutions, and affect different types of people. Many people are temporarily homeless (housing insecurity).

PROVIDING HOUSING - 
Current Canadian housing policy is dominated by the assumptions that MARKET FORCES (housing as commodity) will provide housing for everyone.
However, 
	Is it more cost-effective to build for lower income people or higher income? 
	To sell, or to rent & maintain units?
		Is low supply of affordable housing due to low demand (as market rationales assume - demand and supply will correspond over time)?

Conclusion:
We are probably most used to thinking about “my home” (individual, private). But it is important to understand how Housing a SOCIAL thing, rather than strictly individual or personal. 

In the next class we will discuss housing in spiritual and theological terms. To Prepare: Think about this:
	Much of the Old Testament history is about God’s efforts to provide a home for the people of Israel.
	How can one trust one’s security in God, if one does not have a sense of security in something so basic as a home?