I did not say I wanted housing to be a communal resource. I questioned the idea that basic human needs can be privatized and taken from people who can’t pay, through little fault of their own.

I never said landlords were bad people. Landlords, in my opinion, have very tough jobs, and are in most cases, nice people just trying to do their job like everyone else. My landlord, for instance, is very kind and helpful.

I am not a member of the Anti-Eviction Campaign, and I am not espousing that American take up some sort of socialism. I’m questioning their tactics as well as questioning our own policies that bail out big banks but do little for families left in a lurch because of the economy.

“And yet water, shelter, food – these are basic things everyone must have to live. But we allow someone to own these resources and sell them to others. You don’t have the money? You don’t get them.”

It scares me that you want housing to be some sort of communal resource. My house is my own, and it is not yours.

I am a landlord. I wouldn’t do it for free. People like me expand the market for available housing and give people places to live. To read your article I am some sort of villan.

Once everyone gets free food and housing who is going to produce the free food and housing?

“Public” has an unfairly bad reputation, I think that’s certain; per your air analogy, you might note the deleterious effect water-system privatization has had on Illinois towns. Examples are legion – the role of the military in creating some of the most important technology we use (the Internet, GPS, etc), the role of government agencies and state universities in the creation of prescription drugs and other medical treatments, and so forth. There are a lot of things that could theoretically be privatized and aren’t, and everyone is okay with that, because we all believe it works, for good reason.

Having said that, the history of public housing in the 20th century is filled with disaster and misery, which is a real barrier to what you propose. There’s a good case to be made that its unfortunate history has more to do with mismanagement and bad faith, but bad associations with public housing specifically are strong.

What went wrong, in the abstract, is a fascinating question. For better or worse, you’re reporting from a good city to examine it.

PS: If you haven’t, drop what you’re doing and read “Family Properties” by Beryl Satter and “Our Lot” (at least the first chapter of the latter, though the whole thing is amazing).

TOWN HALL AGAINST EVICTIONS
Thursday – 1/14/09 – 6pm
Park Community Church
1001 N Crosby (just West of Larabee on Oak)

CALL-IN :
1) Tell CHA and HUD- “Move Lenise Forrest back into 933 N. Cambridge and declare a moratorium on all evictions at public and subsidized housing.”
CHA: (312) 742-8500 and press “0″ twice to get an operator then ask for CHA CEO Lewis Jordan
HUD: Midwest Director Beverly Bishop (312) 913-8139, Director of IL Office of Public Housing Steve Meiss (312) 913-8300

2) Tell Cook County – “Extend the holiday moratorium on evictions.”
Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart – 312-603-6444
Cook County Chief Judge Timothy Evans – 312-603-6000
Judge E. Kenneth Wright Jr., 1st Municipal District Presiding Judge – 312-603-6132

Great quote. Nice work, Megan.