Housing is a Human Right (2020)

Housing is a Human Right

presented by Cheah Ee Von

ARB/RIBA Part II 4th year research at the Architectural Association School of Architecture London, United Kingdom

Central London

Yes to All

Source: https://www.facebook.com/londonermemes/

What is social housing?

Owned and managed by the state or non profit organisations.

Alt-Erlaa Social Housing in Vienna, Austria (completed in 1967) Source: https://hfa-vi.com/vienna-model

Typical Malaysian Government Housing Schemes Source: https://sales.pr1ma.my & https://www.propertyguru.com.my

Council Estates, Council or Social Housing Examples in London, UK Left: Robin Hood Gardens (completed in 1972) Right: Dunboyne Road Estate (completed in 1967) Source: https://www.architecturalrecord.com & https://www.ribaj.com/culture

Pioneering Council Estates by Liverpool Council (1869) Source: https://municipaldreams.wordpress.com/

UK Social Housing Timeline

1914

1880 Pre-war Period

1939

1918 WWI

Inter-war Period

1945 WWII

1979 Post-war Period

UK Social Housing Timeline

1914

1880 Pre-war Period

1939

1918 WWI

Inter-war Period

1945 WWII

1979 Post-war Period

MORE housing DIFFERENT visions build

MORE housing DIFFERENT visions build

social housing: for the all classes advocated for: high space standards & integrated amenities

MORE housing DIFFERENT visions build

social housing: for the all classes

social housing: for the worst off

advocated for: high space standards & integrated amenities

home ownership & free market: for the affluent working class promoted: low cost & low quality to achieve higher numbers of houses built

“Affordable” (Social + Intermediate) Housing

“Affordable�

(Social + Intermediate) Housing

Social Rent 30% market rent

“Affordable�

(Social + Intermediate) Housing

Intermediate Housing

Social Rent

“Affordable�

(Social + Intermediate) Housing

Intermediate Housing

80% market rent

Number of “affordable� housing promised by Argent (developer) at Triangle Site

Number of “affordable” housing promised by Argent (developer) at Triangle Site

Year 2006: 300

Year 2019: 59

Financial Viability Report

1929

1936

Great Depression

1951

1960

1963

Golden Age of Capitalism

1973 Stagflation OPEC Oil Crisis

1975

1979

1980

Neoliberal Era

Economic Ideology Evolution Timeline

Keynesian Economics

The General Theory of Employment, Interest & Money

by John Maynard Keynes

•

1929

increase government expenditures

1936

Great Depression • • • •

1951

1960

1963

Golden Age of Capitalism

1973 Stagflation OPEC Oil Crisis

1975

1979

1980

Neoliberal Era

low average global growth high unemployment sharp increase of inequality biggest financial crisis in history

Economic Ideology Evolution Timeline

Keynesian Economics

The General Theory of Employment, Interest & Money

by John Maynard Keynes

•

1929

increase government expenditures

1936

Great Depression • • • •

low average global growth high unemployment sharp increase of inequality biggest financial crisis in history

1951

1960

1963

Golden Age of Capitalism • • • • • •

1973 Stagflation OPEC Oil Crisis

1975

1979

1980

Neoliberal Era

high average global growth low unemployment reduction of inequality very low incidence of financial crises welfare state social housing development

Economic Ideology Evolution Timeline

Keynesian Economics

Monetarism

A Monetary History of the United States

by Milton Friedman & Anna J. Schwartz

The General Theory of Employment, Interest & Money

by John Maynard Keynes

•

1929

1936

Great Depression • • • •

•

increase government expenditures

low average global growth high unemployment sharp increase of inequality biggest financial crisis in history

central bank to control money supply

1951

1960

1963

1973 Stagflation OPEC Oil Crisis

Golden Age of Capitalism • • • • • •

high average global growth low unemployment reduction of inequality very low incidence of financial crises welfare state social housing development

• •

1975

1979

1980

Neoliberal Era

high unemployment high inflation

Economic Ideology Evolution Timeline

Keynesian Economics

Monetarism

A Monetary History of the United States

by Milton Friedman & Anna J. Schwartz

The General Theory of Employment, Interest & Money

by John Maynard Keynes

•

1929

1936

Great Depression • • • •

•

increase government expenditures

low average global growth high unemployment sharp increase of inequality biggest financial crisis in history

central bank to control money supply

1951

1960

1963

1973 Stagflation OPEC Oil Crisis

Golden Age of Capitalism • • • • • •

high average global growth low unemployment reduction of inequality very low incidence of financial crises welfare state social housing development

• •

1975

1979

1980

Neoliberal Era

high unemployment high inflation

Economic Ideology Evolution Timeline

Keynesian Economics

Monetarism

A Monetary History of the United States

by Milton Friedman & Anna J. Schwartz

The General Theory of Employment, Interest & Money

by John Maynard Keynes

•

1929

central bank to control money supply

1951

1936

Free Market

Great Depression • • • •

•

increase government expenditures

low average global growth high unemployment sharp increase of inequality biggest financial crisis in history

1960

1963

1973 Stagflation OPEC Oil Crisis

Golden Age of Capitalism • • • • • •

high average global growth low unemployment reduction of inequality very low incidence of financial crises welfare state social housing development

• •

1975

1979

1980

Neoliberal Era

high unemployment high inflation

The Road to Serfdom & The Constitution of Liberty

by Friedrich A. Hayek

• •

government planning crushes individualism liberty as prerequisites for wealth & growth

Economic Ideology Evolution Timeline

Keynesian Economics

A Monetary History of the United States

by Milton Friedman & Anna J. Schwartz

The General Theory of Employment, Interest & Money

by John Maynard Keynes

•

1929

•

increase government expenditures

central bank to control money supply

1951

1936

Free Market

Great Depression • • • •

Margaret Thatcher

Monetarism

low average global growth high unemployment sharp increase of inequality biggest financial crisis in history

1960

•

1963

1973 Stagflation OPEC Oil Crisis

Golden Age of Capitalism • • • • • •

high average global growth low unemployment reduction of inequality very low incidence of financial crises welfare state social housing development

appointed leader of conservative party

• •

1975

1979

1980

Neoliberal Era

high unemployment high inflation

The Road to Serfdom & The Constitution of Liberty

by Friedrich A. Hayek

• •

government planning crushes individualism liberty as prerequisites for wealth & growth

Economic Ideology Evolution Timeline

Keynesian Economics

A Monetary History of the United States

by Milton Friedman & Anna J. Schwartz

The General Theory of Employment, Interest & Money

by John Maynard Keynes

•

1929

•

increase government expenditures

central bank to control money supply

1951

1936

Free Market

Great Depression • • • •

Margaret Thatcher

Monetarism

low average global growth high unemployment sharp increase of inequality biggest financial crisis in history

1960

•

1963

1973 Stagflation OPEC Oil Crisis

Golden Age of Capitalism • • • • • •

high average global growth low unemployment reduction of inequality very low incidence of financial crises welfare state social housing development

appointed leader of conservative party

• •

1975

•

appointed Prime Minister of UK

1979

1980

Neoliberal Era

high unemployment high inflation

The Road to Serfdom & The Constitution of Liberty

by Friedrich A. Hayek

• •

government planning crushes individualism liberty as prerequisites for wealth & growth

Economic Ideology Evolution Timeline

Keynesian Economics

Margaret Thatcher

Monetarism

• •

• • • A Monetary History of the United States

by Milton Friedman & Anna J. Schwartz

The General Theory of Employment, Interest & Money

by John Maynard Keynes

•

1929

central bank to control money supply

1951 Free Market

Great Depression • • • •

•

increase government expenditures

1936

advocate individualism & competition minimised tax & regulations for big corporations & investors weaken trade unions privitise public services deregulate stock market

low average global growth high unemployment sharp increase of inequality biggest financial crisis in history

1960

•

1963

1973 Stagflation OPEC Oil Crisis

Golden Age of Capitalism • • • • • •

high average global growth low unemployment reduction of inequality very low incidence of financial crises welfare state social housing development

appointed leader of conservative party

• •

1975

•

appointed Prime Minister of UK

1979

1980

Neoliberal Era

high unemployment high inflation

The Road to Serfdom & The Constitution of Liberty

by Friedrich A. Hayek

• •

government planning crushes individualism liberty as prerequisites for wealth & growth

Economic Ideology Evolution Timeline

Keynesian Economics

Margaret Thatcher

Monetarism

“Right to Buy” legislation • •

• • • A Monetary History of the United States

by Milton Friedman & Anna J. Schwartz

The General Theory of Employment, Interest & Money

by John Maynard Keynes

•

1929

central bank to control money supply

1951 Free Market

Great Depression • • • •

•

increase government expenditures

1936

advocate individualism & competition minimised tax & regulations for big corporations & investors weaken trade unions privitise public services deregulate stock market

low average global growth high unemployment sharp increase of inequality biggest financial crisis in history

1960

•

1963

1973

• •

high average global growth low unemployment reduction of inequality very low incidence of financial crises welfare state social housing development

•

• •

high unemployment high inflation

appointed Prime Minister of UK

1979

1975

Stagflation OPEC Oil Crisis

Golden Age of Capitalism • • • •

appointed leader of conservative party

1980

Neoliberal Era • • • •

high average global growth unemployment questionable? increasing inequality contributed to 2008 financial crisis

The Road to Serfdom & The Constitution of Liberty

by Friedrich A. Hayek

• •

government planning crushes individualism liberty as prerequisites for wealth & growth

Economic Ideology Evolution Timeline

Margaret Thatcher after handing over the deeds of the house to the Pattersons of Harold Hill, Essex in 1980.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/

1980s Source: Home Economics published by The Spaces/Real Foundation (2016)

Neoliberal bureaucratic solution

Neoliberalism sees competition as the defining characteristic of human relations.

Neoliberalism sees competition as the defining characteristic of human relations.

It redefines citizens as consumers, whose democratic choices are best exercised by buying and selling, a process that rewards merit and punishes inefficiency.

Neoliberalism sees competition as the defining characteristic of human relations.

It redefines citizens as consumers, whose democratic choices are best exercised by buying and selling, a process that rewards merit and punishes inefficiency.

It maintains that “the market� delivers benefits that could never be achieved by planning.

Attempts to limit competition are treated as hostile to liberty.

The single landowner of King’s Cross is King’s Cross Central Limited Partnership which falls under Argent & Australian Super, an Australian private pension fund. Argent who is based in the UK, is the main asset manager of the masterplan.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHbX-mA81G0

Source: Rethinking the Economics of Land and Housing (2017)

Source: Why aren't millennials buying homes? on YouTube

300

Source: Rethinking the Economics of Land and Housing (2017)

contradiction

neoliberalism

contradiction

neoliberalism intervention

contradiction

neoliberalism intervention non - intervention

contradiction

neoliberalism intervention non - intervention free market

Source: Building the Homes We Need (2015)

private developer

land ownership

+ local authorities

Reducing social expenditure to reduce public debt is a

delusion.

Source: Building the Homes We Need (2015)

neoliberalism inequality = virtuous

neoliberalism inequality

equality

= virtuous

= counterproductive; morally corrosive

neoliberalism inequality

equality

= virtuous

= counterproductive; morally corrosive

free market ensures “everyone gets what they deserve�

education

education inheritance

education inheritance class

neoliberalism competition

neoliberalism competition

unemployed? = you are at fault truth: structural inequality (education levels and connections)

neoliberalism competition

unemployed? = you are at fault truth: structural inequality (education levels and connections) cannot buy a house? = you are at fault truth: structural inequality (housing prices rise faster than income)

neoliberalism competition

unemployed? = you are at fault truth: structural inequality (education levels and connections) cannot buy a house? = you are at fault truth: structural inequality (housing prices rise faster than income) fat? = you are at fault truth: structural inequality (quality food and exercise are privileges)

Can we return to the Golden Age of Capitalism (1950s-1970s)?

Source: https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Capitalism

homelessness

rough sleepers

+

sofa-surfing

temporary accommodations

overcrowding

Camden

Islington

+

Source: https://england.shelter.org.uk/

+

Housing First (and forever)

Helsinki’s Housing First Programme by Y-Foundation (Y-Säätiö)

Karl-Marx-Hof social housing in Vienna, Austria

Source: https://ysaatio.fi/en/housing-first-finland

Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/

mere consumption

Source: https://architizer.com/blog/inspiration/stories/2019-a-awards-project-year-heatherwick-studio-coal-drops-yard/

mere consumption

passive participants

Source: https://architizer.com/blog/inspiration/stories/2019-a-awards-project-year-heatherwick-studio-coal-drops-yard/

Source: https://www.kingscross.co.uk/coal-drops-yard

Source: https://www.timeout.com/london/news/heres-where-to-volunteer-in-london-this-christmas-120717

Calthorpe Community Garden

Source: http://calthorpecommunitygarden.org.uk/ & photos by Ee Von Cheah

258-274 Gray’s Inn Road London WC1X 8LH

Argent’s King’s Cross typical residential block commercial ground floor proposal.

Source: https://www.kingscross.co.uk/

The only (upmarket) grocery store in King’s Cross.

Source: Photo by Ee Von Cheah

overcrowding

built to

Parker Morris Standards

“Liberty was possible only with social justice and an equal distribution of wealth and power, which in turn require a degree of active government intervention.�

- David Steel in 1978

Central London

Yes to All

Source: https://www.facebook.com/londonermemes/

Housing is a public good.

Housing is a human right.

Housing for social justice.

Discussion 1. Critique of my scheme, what ideas should be pushed further?

2. Are pseudo-public spaces really bad for us?

3. Do we really need a bigger space?

4. Do we need an even more radical reorganization of living?

5. Is co-living really a good “new way of living�?

6. How to address the dysfunctional housing development in terms of policy and economics?

7. Is there social housing or pseudo-public spaces in Asia?

8. Do the Malaysian housing crisis share the same issue with London?

9. Does Malaysia have minimum housing standards? How do we determine what is the right standards?

10.What are the housing financing options available for Malaysia/ Singapore? Are they reliable?