The need for a home is universal. But today, housing is dominated by economic and political logics that conflict with the ideal of housing for all. When residential space becomes a speculative investment or a tool for political repression, it raises fundamental questions about what, and whom, housing is for.

Recent books by these speakers examine housing issues from various places and perspectives. Reflecting on themes from this work, this event will explore struggles over the shape and function of the housing system in contemporary cities. It will connect an analysis of the housing crisis with debates about commodification, residential injustice and rights.

David Madden (@davidjmadden) is Assistant Professor in Sociology at LSE and co-author, with Peter Marcuse, of In Defense of Housing: The politics of crisis.

Anna Minton (@AnnaMinton) is a Reader in the School of Architecture at UEL and author of Big Capital: Who is London for?

Alex Vasudevan (@Potentia_Space) is Associate Professor in Human Geography at Oxford University and author of The Autonomous City: A history of urban squatting.

Suzanne Hall (@SuzanneHall12) is Associate Professor in Sociology at LSE.

The Department of Sociology at LSE (@LSEsociology) was established in 1904 and remains committed to top quality teaching and leading research and scholarship today.

Twitter Hashtag for this event: #LSEhousing

Slides

A copy of the speakers' PowerPoint presentations can be downloaded:

What is Housing For? (pdf)

Podcast

A podcast of this event is available to download from What is Housing For?

Podcasts and videos of many LSE events can be found at the LSE Public Lectures and Events: podcasts and videos channel.