🏠 Housing Policy

Examinations of how zoning, subsidies, regulation, and market forces shape who can afford to live where. These books connect the housing crisis to deeper questions of equity, community, and belonging.

Evicted

by Matthew Desmond • 2016

Poverty isn't the cause of eviction. Eviction is the cause of poverty, and the market profits.

4.47

115k+

🏙️ Urban Poverty 🏚️ Housing Insecurity ✊ Racial Inequality 🔄 Poverty Cycle 📖 Narrative Ethnography

Evicted

Poverty isn't the cause of eviction. Eviction is the cause of poverty, and the market profits.

by Matthew Desmond 2016

4.47

115k+ ratings

🏙️ Urban Poverty 🏚️ Housing Insecurity ✊ Racial Inequality 🔄 Poverty Cycle 📖 Narrative Ethnography

How to Kill a City

by Peter Moskowitz • 2017

Four cities, one playbook: policy and profit, not hipsters, push out the poor and replace them.

4.07

4k+

🏗️ Gentrification 🧱 Racial Capitalism 🏛️ Neoliberal Urbanism 📈 Real Estate Speculation 🌪️ Disaster Capitalism

How to Kill a City

Four cities, one playbook: policy and profit, not hipsters, push out the poor and replace them.

by Peter Moskowitz 2017

4.07

4k+ ratings

🏗️ Gentrification 🧱 Racial Capitalism 🏛️ Neoliberal Urbanism 📈 Real Estate Speculation 🌪️ Disaster Capitalism

The Color of Law

by Richard Rothstein • 2017

Federal policy, not private prejudice, segregated America. The proof is in the mortgage manuals.

4.44

47k+

🏘️ Residential Segregation 🔴 Redlining 🏙️ Urban Planning ⚖️ Systemic Racism 💰 Wealth Inequality

The Color of Law

Federal policy, not private prejudice, segregated America. The proof is in the mortgage manuals.

by Richard Rothstein 2017

4.44

47k+ ratings

🏘️ Residential Segregation 🔴 Redlining 🏙️ Urban Planning ⚖️ Systemic Racism 💰 Wealth Inequality

The Great Displacement

by Jake Bittle • 2023

Climate disasters are displacing millions; housing markets and insurance can't keep up.

4.28

4k+

🌍 Climate Migration ⚖️ Environmental Justice 🇺🇸 American Migration 💧 Water Crisis 🚒 Disaster Recovery

The Great Displacement

Climate disasters are displacing millions; housing markets and insurance can't keep up.

by Jake Bittle 2023

4.28

4k+ ratings

🌍 Climate Migration ⚖️ Environmental Justice 🇺🇸 American Migration 💧 Water Crisis 🚒 Disaster Recovery

Homelessness Is a Housing Problem

by Gregg Colburn • 2022

Homelessness rates don't track mental illness or poverty. They track rent and vacancy rates.

4.21

1k+

🏙️ Urban Economics 🏘️ Affordable Housing 🏡 Housing First 🗺️ Urban Planning 📊 Data-Driven Policy

Homelessness Is a Housing Problem

Homelessness rates don't track mental illness or poverty. They track rent and vacancy rates.

by Gregg Colburn 2022

4.21

1k+ ratings

🏙️ Urban Economics 🏘️ Affordable Housing 🏡 Housing First 🗺️ Urban Planning 📊 Data-Driven Policy

Escaping the Housing Trap

by Charles L. Marohn Jr. • 2024

Housing can't be both affordable shelter and a good investment. That conflict is the trap.

4.37

503

🏙️ Urban Planning 📜 Zoning Reform 💰 Affordability Crisis 🌱 Bottom-Up Urbanism ✊ Neighborhood Activism

Escaping the Housing Trap

Housing can't be both affordable shelter and a good investment. That conflict is the trap.

by Charles L. Marohn Jr. 2024

4.37

503 ratings

🏙️ Urban Planning 📜 Zoning Reform 💰 Affordability Crisis 🌱 Bottom-Up Urbanism ✊ Neighborhood Activism

The Great Reset

by Richard Florida • 2010

Crashes rebuild how we live. Two gave us factories and suburbs. The third is remaking cities.

3.59

656

🏙️ Urban Economics 🗺️ Economic Geography 🏗️ Infrastructure 💡 Creative Economy 🔄 Post-Industrial Society

The Great Reset

Crashes rebuild how we live. Two gave us factories and suburbs. The third is remaking cities.

by Richard Florida 2010

3.59

656 ratings

🏙️ Urban Economics 🗺️ Economic Geography 🏗️ Infrastructure 💡 Creative Economy 🔄 Post-Industrial Society

Municipal Dreams

by John Boughton • 2018

Britain built some of the world's best public housing, then spent 40 years dismantling it.

3.92

769

🏠 Social Housing 🏙️ Urban History 🏛️ Welfare State 🏭 Privatization 🇬🇧 British Politics

Municipal Dreams

Britain built some of the world's best public housing, then spent 40 years dismantling it.

by John Boughton 2018

3.92

769 ratings

🏠 Social Housing 🏙️ Urban History 🏛️ Welfare State 🏭 Privatization 🇬🇧 British Politics

Zoned in the USA

by Sonia A. Hirt • 2014

The detached home with its own yard is globally rare. American zoning manufactured it at scale.

4.01

136

🏛️ Zoning Law 🏙️ Urban Planning 🌍 Comparative Urbanism 🏡 American Sprawl 🏘️ Single-Family Housing

Zoned in the USA

The detached home with its own yard is globally rare. American zoning manufactured it at scale.

by Sonia A. Hirt 2014

4.01

136 ratings

🏛️ Zoning Law 🏙️ Urban Planning 🌍 Comparative Urbanism 🏡 American Sprawl 🏘️ Single-Family Housing

Gaffs

by Rory Hearne • 2022

Why Ireland's housing crisis is not a market failure but a government strategy to enrich investors.

3.52

171

🏚️ Housing Crisis 🇮🇪 Irish Housing 💸 Rental Crisis 🏦 Financialized Housing 🏢 Social Housing

Gaffs

Why Ireland's housing crisis is not a market failure but a government strategy to enrich investors.

by Rory Hearne 2022

3.52

171 ratings

🏚️ Housing Crisis 🇮🇪 Irish Housing 💸 Rental Crisis 🏦 Financialized Housing 🏢 Social Housing

The Lost and the Found

by Kevin Fagan • 2025

A Florida surfer girl and Danville football star hit the same sidewalk. One came back.

4.27

912

🏕️ Homelessness 💉 Harm Reduction 🧭 Addiction Recovery ⚖️ Structural Inequality 🧠 Severe Mental Illness

The Lost and the Found

A Florida surfer girl and Danville football star hit the same sidewalk. One came back.

by Kevin Fagan 2025

4.27

912 ratings

🏕️ Homelessness 💉 Harm Reduction 🧭 Addiction Recovery ⚖️ Structural Inequality 🧠 Severe Mental Illness

All That Is Solid

by Danny Dorling • 2014

Britain has a third more bedrooms than people. The housing disaster is engineered, not inevitable.

3.55

144

💰 Wealth Inequality 📈 Financialization 🌪️ Disaster Capitalism 🏢 Social Housing 📜 Tenant Rights

All That Is Solid

Britain has a third more bedrooms than people. The housing disaster is engineered, not inevitable.

by Danny Dorling 2014

3.55

144 ratings

💰 Wealth Inequality 📈 Financialization 🌪️ Disaster Capitalism 🏢 Social Housing 📜 Tenant Rights

Nowhere to Live

by James S. Burling • 2024

Why can't Americans afford homes? A century of rules made building them illegal.

4.00

🏛️ Property Rights 🏗️ Zoning Reform ⚖️ Eminent Domain 📜 Government Overreach 🗽 Libertarian Thought

Nowhere to Live

Why can't Americans afford homes? A century of rules made building them illegal.

by James S. Burling 2024

4.00

12 ratings

🏛️ Property Rights 🏗️ Zoning Reform ⚖️ Eminent Domain 📜 Government Overreach 🗽 Libertarian Thought

Boom Bust

by Fred Harrison • 1999

Land speculation drives the 18-year boom-bust cycle. The next crash already builds.

3.95

🏠 Land Economics 🫧 Housing Bubbles 📉 Boom-Bust Cycles 💥 Financial Crises 📜 Georgist Economics

Boom Bust

Land speculation drives the 18-year boom-bust cycle. The next crash already builds.

by Fred Harrison 1999

3.95

38 ratings

🏠 Land Economics 🫧 Housing Bubbles 📉 Boom-Bust Cycles 💥 Financial Crises 📜 Georgist Economics

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