Autonomy and Housing Policy

Abstract The ideal of individual autonomy figures prominently into housing policy debates. Initiatives designed to expand housing choice, reduce housing instability and promote residential mobility all implicitly refer to some aspect of autonomy, but the theoretical foundation of the relationship between the normative ideal of autonomy and housing has not been fully excavated. This paper draws upon the moral and political philosophy literature to propose and explore an autonomy-oriented conception of housing. The proposed view provides a new perspective on the contribution of housing to individual well-being; demonstrates the relationship between individual autonomy, housing, and community; provides an application of the contemporary philosophical debates surrounding anti-perfectionism; and provides new insights into the normative dimensions of the people-versus-place housing policy debate.