Some days I truly do wonder if sometime during the night, as I slept, I slipped through some rouge wormhole and woke up in an alternate universe.
Today is one of those days.
The New York Times: The United Nations has assigned an official, “a special rapporteur on the right to adequate housing,” to check the city’s affordable housing. The rapporteur, Raquel Rolnik, is to tour the city for the next three days with housing advocates and city officials to “hear the voices of those who are suffering on the ground,” she said.
New squatter settlements on a hillside in north Caracas, Venezuela. Photograph: Jonas Bendiksen/Magnum
An internet flash journey through Mr. Bendiksen’s Book The Places We Live is available at this link.
The issue of Mega-cities and its ancillary issue of Mega-slums have been of interest to me for quite some time, about two decades now. I’ve previously written briefly on the issue here and here – on Pandemic Chronicle. Inadequate housing is as intractable and complex an issue as it is ubiquitous. While the United States has its difficulties housing every single one of its residents to a standard that might meet Ms. Rolnik’s standards I question not only her [and the UN's] motivation, but also their genuine commitment to the issue.
If anyone is truly interested in what the problem of “inadequate housing” really looks like watch this video.
The problems of housing in the US pales in comparison. In comparison, there is no problem. In comparison, every single person residing within the boarders of the US have access to a veritable palace, no matter how humble the abode may be in reality.
And so, given that I have at least a modicum of understanding on the issues, something I highly doubt Ms. Rolnik has, perhaps I can be forgiven for my WTF moment this morning….
Posted via web from Debi Brandon
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