Interview with Brian Goldstone, author of There Is No Place for Us: Working and Homeless in America : “In America right now, a low-wage job … is homelessness waiting to happen” – World Socialist Web Site

Report on Homelessness in the United States: An Analysis of Barriers to Sustainable Development Goals

This report analyzes the systemic issues of homelessness and housing precarity in the United States, as detailed in the work of Brian Goldstone. The findings indicate a profound disconnect between the nation’s economic activity and its progress toward key Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those concerning poverty, inequality, decent work, and sustainable communities.

SDG 1 (No Poverty) & SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth): The Failure of Low-Wage Employment

A central finding is that employment is no longer a guaranteed path out of poverty or a safeguard against homelessness. This reality directly undermines the objectives of SDG 1 and SDG 8.

• Wage Stagnation: The federal minimum wage has remained static for over a decade, creating a scenario where full-time employment is insufficient to afford modest housing in any state or county in the nation.
• Income vs. Housing Costs: Since 1985, rental prices have outpaced income gains by 325%, creating a structural deficit for low-wage workers. Twelve million households now spend over half their income on rent.
• The “Working Homeless”: The rise of a “working homeless” population, comprised of individuals with one or more jobs who cannot afford stable housing, demonstrates that economic growth is not inclusive and decent work is not being provided. This indicates a failure to achieve Target 8.5 (full and productive employment and decent work for all).

SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities): Displacement and the Financialization of Housing

Urban development practices and the treatment of housing as a financial asset actively work against the goals of SDG 11, which aims to make cities inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.

1. Gentrification as Displacement: Urban renewal projects, such as Atlanta’s BeltLine, have led to skyrocketing rents and the mass displacement of low-income communities. This process transforms cities into exclusive zones, contrary to the goal of inclusive communities (Target 11.1).
2. Profiting from Precarity: The financialization of housing has created business models that profit from the instability of the poor. Wall Street firms like Blackstone have acquired extended-stay hotel chains, charging exorbitant rates to families locked out of the formal housing market. This commodification of a basic need is a primary barrier to sustainable urban development.
3. Geography of Inequality: The displacement from gentrifying areas pushes populations into neighborhoods characterized by “organized abandonment,” where housing is substandard and public services are minimal. This creates a dual system that violates the principle of sustainable and equitable urban planning.

SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities): The Disproportionate Impact on Marginalized Groups

The homelessness crisis is not experienced equally across demographics, highlighting a severe failure to advance SDG 10.

• Racial Disparities: In cities like Atlanta, the crisis is deeply racialized. Despite Black residents comprising approximately 47% of the city’s population, they account for a staggering 93% of families experiencing homelessness.
• Systemic Roots: This disproportionality is the product of a long history of systemic exclusion, predatory capitalism, and dispossession, which perpetuates cycles of inequality.

Policy Recommendations for SDG Alignment: The Social Housing Model

To address these systemic failures and align with the SDG framework, a fundamental shift in housing policy is required. The proposed model of social housing offers a direct pathway to achieving Target 11.1 (access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing).

Key Features of Social Housing

• Decommodification: Social housing takes homes permanently off the speculative private market, treating housing as an essential public good rather than a financial instrument.
• Income-Based Affordability: Rents are tied to income, not market demand, guaranteeing stability and affordability for residents.
• Public and Non-Profit Ownership: Homes are owned and operated by municipal governments, non-profits, or limited-equity cooperatives, with a mandate for public good over profit.

Implementation Steps

1. Commit to massive public investment in housing at the federal, state, and local levels.
2. Establish legal mechanisms to remove land and housing from speculative cycles.
3. Learn from successful international models, such as those in Finland, which has virtually ended homelessness, and Vienna, where two-thirds of residents live in high-quality public or social housing.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 1: No Poverty

  The article directly addresses poverty by focusing on homelessness, which is one of its most extreme manifestations. It discusses how millions are caught in a state of poverty, unable to afford basic necessities like housing, and how even a small financial setback can be “catastrophic” for low-wage workers.

• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

  The article highlights the concept of the “working homeless,” where individuals have jobs—sometimes multiple—but their wages are insufficient to cover the cost of living. It points to the stagnation of the minimum wage and the decoupling of wages from rent prices, indicating a lack of decent work that provides a stable livelihood.

• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

  Inequality is a central theme, particularly racial inequality. The article provides a stark statistic that “a staggering 93 percent of families experiencing homelessness are Black” in Atlanta. It attributes this to a “long history of displacement, exclusion and dispossession,” linking the current crisis to systemic and historical inequalities.

• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

  This is the most prominent SDG in the article. The entire discussion revolves around the lack of access to adequate and affordable housing. It explores issues like gentrification, rising housing costs, the financialization of housing, and the failure of the private market to provide for the most vulnerable, directly connecting to the goal of making cities inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• Target 1.4: Access to basic services

  By 2030, ensure that all men and women, in particular the poor and the vulnerable, have equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to basic services. The article’s core subject is the lack of access to housing, a fundamental basic service. The proposed solution of “social housing” is presented as a way to guarantee this access.

• Target 8.5: Full and productive employment and decent work for all

  By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men… and equal pay for work of equal value. The article challenges the notion that employment guarantees stability, stating, “having a job—even two or three jobs—is no guarantee that you’ll be able to afford a home.” This points to a failure to achieve decent work, as wages are “divorced from the cost of living.”

• Target 10.2: Promote universal social, economic and political inclusion

  By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of… race, colour, ethnicity… or other status. The article demonstrates a profound lack of inclusion for African Americans in Atlanta’s housing market. The statistic that 93% of homeless families are Black shows a severe racial disparity and economic exclusion from the city’s “prosperity.”

• Target 11.1: Ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing

  By 2030, ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services and upgrade slums. This target is directly addressed throughout the article. It describes how millions lack affordable housing, with rents skyrocketing and people being “pushed” into homelessness or substandard housing like extended-stay hotels. The discussion of gentrification as the “displacement and replacement of the poor for profit” directly relates to this target.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Indicator for Target 11.1 (Proportion of population with affordable housing access):

  The article states, “Twelve million renter households now spend more than half their income on rent and utilities.” This is a direct indicator of the lack of affordable housing, measuring the proportion of the population facing a severe housing cost burden.

• Indicator for Target 8.5 (Wage growth vs. cost of living):

  The article mentions that “Since 1985, rent prices have outpaced income gains by 325 percent.” This statistic serves as a powerful indicator measuring the gap between wage growth and the cost of a basic necessity (housing), demonstrating the inadequacy of wages for ensuring a decent standard of living.

• Indicator for Target 10.2 (Disparities in homelessness by race):

  The statistic that “a staggering 93 percent of families experiencing homelessness are Black” in a city that is about 47 percent Black is a clear indicator of racial inequality. It measures the disproportionate representation of a specific racial group within the homeless population, highlighting systemic exclusion.

• Indicator for Target 8.5 (Minimum wage levels):

  The article points out that “the federal minimum wage has stagnated at $7.25 since 2016.” The level of the minimum wage relative to the cost of living is an indicator of whether employment provides a decent livelihood. The article also notes that even the local minimum wage is insufficient, as “there isn’t a single state, city, or county in this country where a full-time worker earning the local minimum wage… can afford a modest two-bedroom apartment.”

4. Create a table with three columns titled ‘SDGs, Targets and Indicators” to present the findings from analyzing the article.

Source: wsws.org