Economic Update with Richard D. Wolff The US Housing Crisis Today
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Mar 10, 2026 Rob Robinson, formerly homeless organizer and housing activist now advising NYC human rights groups and teaching urbanism. He discusses the scale of today’s U.S. housing crisis. He describes who is cost‑burdened and how homelessness disrupts education. He critiques the homeownership myth and financialized housing. He outlines housing‑first policy and involving people with lived experience.
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1918 Federal Housing Success
- The U.S. government built over 80 thoughtfully designed communities in 1918 that housed about 100,000 people within two years.
- These neighborhoods included parks, schools, shops, and sewer systems showing large-scale public housing can be rapid and comprehensive.
Government Capacity Implies Today’s Options
- The historical example implies the federal government has the capacity to build mass affordable housing quickly when motivated.
- Wolff uses that precedent to question why comparable action isn't taken now amid today's affordability crisis.
Chattanooga Contract Shows Powerful Union Gains
- The Volkswagen Chattanooga UAW contract delivered large gains: $6,550 immediate bonus, 20% wage increase over four years, and 20% lower health premiums locked for the contract term.
- Wolff highlights this as evidence unions can secure substantial, concrete worker improvements even in the South.