Roundtable: Architecture and the Right to Housing in Los Angeles
UCLA Architecture and Urban Design, Los Angeles | October 20, 2025
The right to housing—globally and in Los Angeles—is a political, legal, and economic issue. It is also an architectural one. What does the right to housing mean in practice? How can designers contribute?
This intimate gathering brought together housing advocates, architects, and academics. Short talks connecting research and practice opened into a facilitated discussion around a shared meal. The proceedings were recorded and transcribed for future publication in Untapped.
Our goal is to work collaboratively to envision what the right to housing would look like in Los Angeles, and how architects and other urban practitioners might contribute. The convening surfaced urgent questions and promising examples, and laid the groundwork for future collaboration.
The program centered the seven aspects of the right to housing, as codified by the United Nations: security of tenure; availability of services; affordability; accessibility; habitability; cultural adequacy; and location.
The roundtable was convened by cityLAB UCLA, UCLA Architecture and Urban Design and the Architecture and Housing Justice Lab. It was made possible through the generous support of the Canadian Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), the Irving Grossman Fund in Affordable Housing, cityLAB UCLA, UCLA AUD, and Untapped.
Photos by Sarah M. Golonka/SMG Photography.