Homelessness is a policy choice—which means that ending homelessness can be as well. With a focus on New York City, this course invites students to think critically about the issue of urban homelessness in its many dimensions. Following a brief overview of housing and the welfare state in the United States, we consider the regulation of homelessness as a form of governance rooted in racism and capitalism. We then turn to the current realities of homelessness in the urban landscape—the forces that create it, the policies that regulate it, the experiences of the people living it, and the discourse surrounding it. The course concludes with an overview of policy solutions and an invitation to radically imagine a future without homelessness. Readings will include a mix of scholarly work, journalism, video, and other media. Students will be expected to follow and reflect on current events in homeless policy, planning, and activism, and will use these reflections throughout the course as the foundation of a final project.