Last Days In Buenos Aires
When I ended my experience working with an NGO last summer, I knew that I wanted to explore new paths and learn how governments work to address social and economic issues. I left that summer feeling that NGO’s were great and necessary tools that offered immediate solutions to problems; however, in order to achieve long term solutions, systematic changes were needed. For me, those long term solutions were the responsibility of the government. For example, the NGO sold water filters to rural communities, which offered a solution to the immediate problem of having clean water for households. However, from my perspective, only government could offer a long-lasting solution to this problem by constructing the proper infrastructure to facilitate access to clean and safe water. Everywhere I looked during that summer it appeared as if only government could offer a real solution.
Fast forward to the present where I find myself working with an incredibly active city government. That is, it’s quite difficult to go anywhere in the city without seeing the government’s presence: the subway system is plastered with advertisements promoting the city’s eco-bike system, billboards highlight the city’s recently created police force, and my Facebook feed shows me advertisements for city-run cultural events. While it is possible to debate about what polices are highlighted and which ones are left out of the spotlight, it’s hard to deny that this government makes its presence known.
After learning about the scope of this government’s housing policies these 2 months, I’ve begun to wonder if I still hold the same opinion about government’s role in resolving economic,social, and developmental issues. Specifically, when I think about housing policy, I am starting to realize that I don’t believe government policy alone can address systematic issues. At least not government policies that focus only on subsidies and public work projects. These remedies seem to target the effect of a problem and not the root cause, which is a housing market that is unable to provide sufficient housing to consumers. It’s unclear to me how government should address this issue, but this summer has helped change my rather singleminded focus on government action and helped me attempt to expand my horizons.
As I approach the end of my time in Buenos Aires, I am incredibly grateful for the opportunities I have had to closely observe the city’s housing policies and the experiences shared with wonderful people. Buenos Aires is a special city undergoing many transformations, and I would love to return in the future to see where it ends up (and say hi to a few friends).

Written by Kristina Harris ’20, International Relations major, FSI Global Policy Intern at the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy.
