Excluded

I've been working on affordable housing issues for my community, and two recent issues have involved zoning for dense housing.

Kahlenberg's interest in affordable housing and zoning began when he was researching school achievement issues and discovered that children from poorer families were more academically successful when they lived in and attended school in economically diverse communities. He then began to look at why so many communities are not economically diverse.

Kahlenberg argues that the availability and affordability of housing is primarily limited by zoning laws, especially in more well-to-do suburbs, that restrict housing density. He uses lots of examples… show more.

I’ve often thought that discrimination against poor people is the last socially acceptable prejudice. Kahlenberg proves me correct.

While racial segregation has declined, economic segregation has increased exponentially. Kahlenberg exposes the myths and false arguments that justify economic discrimination. He shows that excluding the poor is most common in liberal communities on the two coasts.

Research demonstrates that where we grow up has a powerful effect on our ability to succeed in school and the job market, demolishing the idea that we are a meritocracy and that rich people deserve to live behind invisible walls in privileged communities.