URP 581, Section 1

Housing Policy & Economics
Fall 2023
Instructors: Lan Deng
Term: Fall 2023
Section: 1
Class Number: 581
Credits: 3
Required: No
Elective: Yes
Meets: Thu 6:00-9:00pm  1360 A&AB
Course Brief: Download

This course provides students with a broad understanding of how housing markets work, and the role of policy and planning in shaping housing production and consumption.  The first part of the course examines basic housing economic concepts that can help us understand and analyze housing markets. These include topics such as: housing supply and housing demand; how to define and analyze housing markets; how households make their tenure choices and adjust housing consumption; how housing finance works; and the causes and consequences of residential segregation. The second part of the class focuses on housing policy and planning to help us understand how affordable housing is delivered. These include the government efforts in promoting homeownership and the housing assistance offered to low-income households. The course will discuss the major affordable housing programs in the United States, including the public housing program, the HOPE VI and Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) programs to redevelop public housing, the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) Program, and the Housing Choice Vouchers (HCV) program. While the course is largely focused on U.S. housing policies, a small number of readings are selected to provide an international perspective on housing policy experience in other countries. 

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