This course explores the historical origins of the housing affordability crisis in several rich countries, including Canada, the USA, the UK, Australia, New Zealand and a few European nations. The course begins after the Second World War but most of the focus is on the period since 1980. We look at the rise of mass homeownership, the rise and fall of public housing, the rise of an 'asset-based' economy, and the ways in which the housing crisis has distorted our economies, societies and political systems. The course is rooted in a wider look at the rise of regional, class, race and age-based inequality. Students will have the opportunity, if they wish, to engage in primary research, specializing in the history of one city or region.
