URP 581

Housing Policy & Economics
Fall 2022
Instructors: Lan Deng
Term: Fall 2022
Class Number: 581
Credits: 3
Required: No
Elective: Yes
Meets: Thu 6:00-9:00pm  1360 A&AB
Course Brief:

The objective of this class is to provide students with an understanding of policy and planning in housing, and the role of regulation in housing development, delivery, and choice. The course will address the economic, political, legal, and social forces that shape the housing stock and its use by owner-occupiers and tenants. We will examine the policies and programs that are currently in place, and their effect on the quality and affordability of housing. The first part of the course will provide a broad conceptual understanding of the basic economics of housing supply and demand, including the economic and financial aspects of housing delivery, the legal and administrative framework in which housing is developed, and the way households make housing choices and adjust their housing consumption. The second part of the class will focus on housing policy and planning to examine how affordable housing is delivered by both government and non-profit actors in the national, local, and community levels. The final part of the class will examine a variety of issues such as the links between housing and neighborhood transition, housing and transportation, and housing and local public finance.

Note: This course is pre-approved as a MUD Directed Elective in the Policy, Law, and Institutions category.