Housing as a Human Right

At a recent 2026 New Jersey Planning and Redevelopment Conference, our financial justice program director, Beverly Brown Ruggia, criticized the commodification of housing, arguing that treating it primarily as a commodity has undermined people’s right to adequate housing while imposing broader social and economic costs on society. She contended that recognizing housing as a human right is a necessary step toward reversing the commodification of housing and ensuring that everyone has access to a safe and stable place to live.