When Living Costs Too Much

One of my favorite bands of all time is the Pet Shop Boys, and their Discography greatest hits CD was one of the cornerstone albums when I was growing up. Looking back, there’s a song of theirs called “Rent” where Neil Tennant muses in his wan but impeccably composed way that the object of his affection is so partly because, well, they pay his rent. Not being an expert on the socioeconomic politics of the 1980s, I can’t tell you if the song is sincere or satire. However, in an age with rapidly increasing living costs and the inevitable decline of capitalism, having someone else pay the rent because they can afford to is a nice perk to have when in a relationship.

Of course, treating the ability to pay for stuff as sort of a litmus test is questionable. When it’s done to catchy pop songs that embrace women who don’t put up with dirtbags that exploit their kindness, or women who say that money doesn’t matter when it comes to love (even if said woman is already rich), it goes down more easily. But just because someone isn’t able to pay for things because they’re poor doesn’t mean they shouldn’t enjoy life to its fullest.

But that’s the key word: shouldn’t. Because even though it became a viral clip that turned into a meme that quickly became a cliche, we must face facts: the rent is too damn high. I even wrote an editorial when I was in college about the cost of renting and housing, and I’ve done the research to back it up. Even in the city of Dubuque in Iowa, the place I live in and call home, my options for getting housing are limited. I’m currently renting out a bedroom in a friend’s house, and I’m incredibly grateful for this opportunity that came before me. Millions of people across the country aren’t so lucky, however. The housing crisis in this country is especially pronounced in Los Angeles, where thousands of people are now sleeping in their cars because they’ve been pushed out of the housing market.

Which raises an obvious question: Why the fuck do we even have a housing market in the first place? Shelter is an undisputed necessity. The United Nations, in their Universal Declaration of Human Rights, has housing as one of their conditions for an adequate standard of living. The problem is obvious: capitalism. Instead of everyone living in a house because everyone needs a house (or apartment or other living arrangement), capitalism has turned houses into opportunities to make a profit. We shouldn’t need to remind you what happened because of this development, but here’s what happened.

Of course, capitalism has turned even uglier since the Great Recession a decade before. The media would have you believe that the median income for Americans means things are going great, except that the numbers are skewed when the Wall Street people responsible for the housing crisis are also on average getting paid exorbitant amounts, and Jeff Bezos is now the world’s richest man.

So what should be done? Easy: abolish the housing market altogether. Of course, that’s easier said than done. There are ways around the oppressive housing market, however. One alternative is creating a community land trust to protect properties from the worst cruelties of capitalism. Another would be housing co-ops so that housing becomes more democratic than the more cutthroat housing market. But these are just minor fixes to the greater problem of our self-induced housing crisis. Out end goal should be ending the housing market and guaranteeing housing for everyone, but that won’t happen until we get rid of capitalism.

In the meantime, since this article started with a song about falling in love with someone who pays the rent, let’s end with a song that acknowledges homelessness directly.