Economic Update with Richard D. Wolff

Episode: The Global Housing Crisis: Rights and Realities

Date: November 4, 2025
Host: Richard D. Wolff
Guest: Balakrishnan Rajagopal, UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Adequate Housing

Episode Overview

In this episode, Richard D. Wolff explores the global housing crisis, examining not just economic but also political and legal dimensions. Wolff begins by reflecting on recent labor and political activism in Europe and the US before turning to a detailed interview with Professor Balakrishnan Rajagopal, the UN’s Special Rapporteur on the Right to Adequate Housing. The discussion focuses on whether the right to housing truly exists worldwide, what that right entails both in law and in reality, and practical examples—good and bad—of how societies grapple with the basic need for shelter.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Recent Worker and Union Activism

• Italian General Strikes ([02:00]–[07:30])
  • Italian workers and trade unions held general strikes (Sept 22 & Oct 3, 2025), not just over labor issues, but to protest government support for Israeli actions in Gaza.
  • Significance: The strikes were "remarkable" because their focus was a moral and political stance against perceived injustice abroad, not for economic benefit.
  • US Solidarity: Similar large protests in the US signal a “rehearsal for a general strike,” inspired by these Italian actions.
  • Quote (A/Wolff, [06:05]):
    “The working class is not only what keeps the economy humming, it’s what keeps the whole society functioning... Union members can say something about that, can make their willingness to continue business as usual not happen, because there’s something terribly wrong going on.”

2. The Return of Socialism in US Political Discourse

• Socialism’s “New” Legitimacy ([09:00]–[15:30])
  • After a long period of socialism being demonized in the US (post-WW2), figures like Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have made it an open topic again.
  • New milestones: Zoran Mamdani’s leading candidacy for NYC mayor illustrates socialism’s return as a serious political option.
  • International context: Many leading politicians in Europe are socialists; socialism as a concept is normal elsewhere.
  • Quote (A/Wolff, [13:25]):
    “All of that [antagonism] is being pushed aside as a new generation decides... to do what every other major country... does, which is to recognize that socialism is part of the political process.”

3. Interview: The Global Housing Crisis with Balakrishnan Rajagopal

(Begin [18:03])

a) What is a UN Special Rapporteur? ([18:03]–[19:17])

• Appointed by UN Human Rights Council as an independent, unpaid expert for a set term.
• They report to the UN, visit countries, investigate, and advise on their issue area—in Rajagopal’s case, the right to adequate housing.

b) Does the Right to Housing Exist Globally? ([19:54]–[21:10])

• Reality:
  • No effective, universal right to housing exists in practice—most people do not experience housing as a right.
• Aspirational Nature of Rights:
  • Rights serve as a moral “horizon” toward which societies struggle.
  • Quote (B/Rajagopal, [20:34]):
    "Rights are always aspirational in that sense. They’re a horizon. People struggle towards achieving them... Rights are always a project in the making and unmaking."

c) Global Comparisons: Housing as a Right in Practice

• South Africa: ([21:29]–[22:54])
  • Constitutionally enshrined right to housing since apartheid; citizens can sue for housing rights. Yet, in practice, many remain without adequate shelter.
• United States:
  • Has never treated housing, food, or basic subsistence as constitutionally protected rights.
  • Instead, trends toward criminalizing homelessness.
  • Quote (B/Rajagopal, [23:18]):
    “Last year’s Supreme Court decision in Grants Pass vs. Johnson... has opened the floodgates for many, many more municipalities... more aggressively jailing homeless people simply because they don’t have a place to live. This, to me, is like a double criminal act.”

d) Punitive Policies & the U.S. Supreme Court

• Criminalization of Homelessness: ([22:54]–[24:57])
  • Supreme Court decision worsens the plight of homeless people by enabling municipalities to jail them for sleeping outdoors.
  • Stark contrast to the abundance of vacant housing units.
  • Quote (A/Wolff, [23:38]):
    “It seems to many of us to be a punishment for people who are already being punished... It’s a very bizarre notion of how to deal with a social problem, especially if you’re a rich country.”

e) Successful Examples: Finland & Vienna ([24:57]–[29:10])

• Finland’s “Housing First” Program:

  • Homelessness drastically reduced (by 89%) since the late 1980s.
  • Key difference: Housing is provided unconditionally before requiring treatment or employment.
  • Quote (B/Rajagopal, [25:34]):
    “They actually aggressively engaged in what is known as a housing first program... Whereas the approach in countries like the United States has been to insist on those people meeting various conditions and qualifying.”

• Vienna’s Public Housing Model:

  • 100 years of controlled land prices through a public, nonprofit corporation.
  • Keeps rents affordable—a two-bedroom in a nice area can be had for less than €700/month.
  • Presence of socialized housing helped create a political bloc resistant to privatization.

• Other Notable Models:

  • Singapore:
    • 85% live in government-controlled, long-term leased units; land not freely traded.
  • Contra—San Diego, USA:
    • Over 70% of land zoned for single-family homes, removing it from possibility for large-scale, public-oriented housing efforts.

f) Global Failures & Blame Shifting ([29:10]–[31:23])

• Affordability Crisis:
  • Crisis present in many major cities, especially acute in the US.
• Blaming Migrants:
  • In many places, rather than addressing fundamental issues, politicians scapegoat migrants and refugees for housing shortages.
  • Quote (B/Rajagopal, [29:37]):
    “Affordability is increasingly recognized as an issue. But the way... is by poisoning it with... xenophobia and migration... Blaming outsiders for your own homegrown failures... is really quite a tragedy and should be avoided.”

g) The Land Issue & Political Solutions ([29:10]–[31:59])

• Fundamental to solving housing crises is public control of land and willingness to use policy tools (e.g., eminent domain), but in the US, political will is lacking.

• Solution Framed by Economics (A/Wolff, [28:10]):

  • Homelessness is a function of “either the price of the housing is too high or the income... too low. One or the other or both... then the solution... has to either raise the income... or lower the price of the homes.”

h) Call to Action and Ongoing Crisis

• The episode closes by highlighting how the U.S. housing crisis continues to worsen and that real solutions require both recognition of housing as a right and systemic change, not punishment of the vulnerable.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• [06:05] Wolff: “The working class is not only what keeps the economy humming, it’s what keeps the whole society functioning... Union members can say something about that...”
• [13:25] Wolff: “All of that [anti-socialist rhetoric] is being pushed aside as a new generation decides... socialism is part of the political process.”
• [20:34] Rajagopal: "Rights are always aspirational in that sense. They’re a horizon. People struggle towards achieving them..."
• [23:18] Rajagopal: “Many more municipalities... are more and more aggressively jailing homeless people simply because they don’t have a place to live. This to me is like a double criminal act.”
• [23:38] Wolff: "It seems to many of us to be a punishment for people who are already being punished…"
• [25:34] Rajagopal: "Finland... aggressively engaged in what is known as a Housing First program..."
• [29:37] Rajagopal: “Blaming outsiders for your own homegrown failures of housing crisis is really quite a tragedy and should be avoided.”

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [02:00] – Italian general strikes and global labor solidarity
• [09:00] – Socialism's return to mainstream US discourse
• [18:03] – Introduction and role of the UN Special Rapporteur
• [19:54] – Is housing a real right globally?
• [21:29] – Global legal approaches: South Africa, US
• [23:18] – Criminalization of homelessness in the US post-SCOTUS
• [24:57] – Finland’s “Housing First” success story
• [25:50] – Vienna’s historic, effective public housing
• [29:10] – Affordability, land use, and the migration scapegoat
• [31:59] – Closing thoughts and acknowledgments

Tone & Style

Richard Wolff’s tone is critical, passionate, and informed—highlighting economic injustices, contrasting systemic failures with proven alternatives, and emphasizing the urgency for change. Rajagopal is factual yet hopeful, underscoring that rights are aspirational and progress is possible but not guaranteed.

Summary

This episode challenges listeners to critically assess the global housing crisis in both its legal and practical dimensions while spotlighting successful models that treat housing as a human right. Wolff and Rajagopal call for policies rooted in justice and evidence—not xenophobia or punishment—to make the right to shelter a reality. The conversation is timely, urgent, and broad in its global perspective, making it essential listening for anyone interested in economic justice, human rights, or social policy.