Subsidized Housing

  In the 19th century, the increase of industrial production in metropolitan areas required city planning at an unprecedented level. Industrial workers need to live near their jobs, while the spread of communism served to increase pressure on governments by making them more aware of their disadvantages. As many workers woke to the idea of being cheated by capitalists, governments needed to appease them to assuage the threat of revolution. One of the ways in which this was done was by assisting low-wage workers with housing in the form of subsidies. Many European governments subsidized housing to help their poor earn a comfortable living.

 In the USA this wasn't as big a problem. Though industrialization was strong, the spread of communism wasn't, so the government did little to assist with housing. This inaction had large repercussions on the country. Suburbia was able to blossom in our country because there was a lot of land, and it wasn't hampered by government regulation. It also meant that housing was dominated by markets instead of government, which has not slowed to this day. Housing is so expensive in this country that many middle class families cannot afford it, including mine. As landowners get richer by acquiring more land, middle and low class citizens are left paying rent on the biggest asset that should be able to afford.

 I believe the USA should have followed in Europe's footsteps on this matter. If we'd implemented subsidized housing instead of laying the roots of lavish suburbia, more people could afford them today. We wouldn't be so obsessed with our lawns and how many rooms we could fill. It was a mistake to believe the market would make anyone happy but the rich. All the average citizen should want is a humble abode with a small yard, which would also be better for the environment. The government has not helped in shaping the kind of moderation we need to save the planet, much less ourselves.