The Right to a Home

This project does three things. The first is to understand the contemporary homeless population and the contingent identity that they inhabit. I do this by refining our understanding of the contemporary homeless population and their contingency, as well as through the consideration of an argument for the right to public dwelling. I find this argument lacking and turn my attention towards the role of the state in maintaining homelessness. I argue that the burden of homelessness, in large part, lies with the formal institutions of the state. I examine the ideal of equality of opportunity, particularly what I call formal equality of opportunity. I isolate three key issues with this conception and develop a concept that I call real equality of opportunity, which places more of an emphasis on opportunity itself. The rest of my argument relies on this point, which seems to demand the provision of positive rights to accomplish. I discuss what is unique about a home in particular, as opposed to other goods and resources to which citizens may have a right. I conclude that, if we take equality of opportunity seriously, the state ought to conceive of equality of opportunity as real equality of opportunity. This results in the right of all citizens to a home