Ian Brossat, Interviewed by Harrison Stetler
Jacobin
As Paris’s deputy mayor, Ian Brossat massively expanded the French capital’s public housing stock. He spoke to Jacobin about the left-wing city hall’s record and what lessons it might have for Zohran Mamdani in New York.
The principle cause of today’s crisis of homelessness and housing affordability has one, single, primary cause: billionaires treating housing as an investment commodity.
To end homelessness we must reclaim our housing infrastructure from the investor class, produce homes as if they were essential goods rather than investment vehicles.
The New York state legislature is calling for the revival of Mitchell-Lama, a program that built over 160,000 affordable housing units in the mid-20th century. It’s a welcome proposal — but we need bigger ambitions for social housing policy today.
Five judge panel rules unanimously determination of Kingston Rent Guidelines Board mandating 15% rent reduction is valid “[n]othing in the applicable statutory language explicitly requires that the Board adjust the rent upward rather than downward.”
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