Homefront: The Year That Housing Broke

In the November issue of Newcity Chicago, OHS partner Ben Schulman contends that 2024 is “the year that housing broke.”

“No matter the city, its size, its demographics, its spatial configuration or architectural bent, housing everywhere seems to be at a crisis point. All the prevailing conceptions of housing—as home, investment vehicle, tool of building generational wealth—are being challenged. As with many long-held notions in this liminal time of creative destruction and meaning-making, much of this challenge is coming to terms with the fact that as old models are dying, there has yet to emerge a countervailing set of ideas and tools to realize new models.”

The piece continues to challenge - and position - Chicago and its design community to reclaim its role “as a cradle of architectural, design and financial innovation” to spur the production of housing.

OHS is committed to creating a centralized platform for critical discussions and offering strategic solutions that address the breakdown in housing models. By analyzing localized challenges and encouraging interdisciplinary approaches, OHS advances practical pathways for more equitable and sustainable housing futures.

What housing strategy does your community need? Get in touch.