We are seeking papers that contain thoughtful, rigorous research, analysis and commentary on housing deterioration and home repair, to the end of (1) initiating a broader national conversation on the significance of this issue in the larger framework of national housing policy, and (2) designing constructive policies and public resource allocations to combat housing deterioration and foster improvement and preservation of older housing, particularly in low-income and minority communities. While it may be appropriate to contextualize a particular subject by looking at the entire universe of deterioration and home repair needs, we are looking for papers that focus primarily on low-income and minority communities, and on that part of the need that cannot or will not be addressed by the private market.9 This Call for Papers aligns with a broader effort for catalyzing a movement to produce greater public, private, and civil resources to improve housing conditions and home repair programs sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in which the call authors are participating.
We invite scholars and practitioners – separately or in combination – to propose papers on various aspects of housing deterioration and home repairs, including but not limited to the specific topics and questions outlined below. Authors whose proposals are selected will be expected to prepare the paper and present it at a symposium to be held in St. Louis in January or February 2025. Those who complete their papers in final draft form in time to present them at the symposium will receive an honorarium of $1,000 and will have their expenses for travel, accommodation and meals at the symposium covered. After the symposium, the organizers/ editors will select papers for inclusion in an edited book and invite their authors to revise them as necessary. Selection will be based on the quality of the paper but also with the goal of creating a cohesive book in which the papers relate to one another and further the overall themes of the project. We intend for the edited book to appeal to both scholars and practitioners, and therefore it is imperative that the papers are clearly written and free of jargon. The authors of papers accepted for publication will receive a second honorarium of $1,000.
Authors interested in participating in this project should submit a proposal no later than February 16, 2024 to Todd Swanstrom at swansttf@gmail.com. Proposals should include the following:
- An abstract of the proposed paper (no more than 500 words)
- A statement of each author’s background or interest in this subject or related fields, such as code enforcement, affordable housing, neighborhood stabilization, etc.
- CVs for all authors • Contact information for all authors, with the corresponding author identified.
We particularly encourage submissions from current or former public or private sector practitioners, and collaborations between university-based scholars and practitioners.
