Push and Pessimism
Push—the documentary focused on the pernicious influence of global finance and private equity firms on affordable housing prospects in cities across the globe—ends with hugs and kisses, as Leilani Farha (the protagonist of the film) and mayors from major cities meet to sign the Municipalist Declaration of Local Governments for the Right to Housing and the Right to the City. Despite this seemingly happy ending, I was struck by just how pessimistic the film left me feeling about the future of affordable housing.
In fairness, the film paints an undeniably bleak picture. In a scene in the Chilean coastal city of Valparaíso, locals decry how a developer is building a luxury development in what used to be a “Garden of Eden” filled with olive trees and almond trees. A baker in Berlin laments that he will have to raise prices in order to pay his increased rent, and apathy abounds amongst so-called “distinguished guests” who pay little attention to Leilani as she speaks about the state of housing; one individual even has the gall to shop for a new watch during her speech on what is clearly a pressing global issue. And the film shows empty apartments in new developments in London—a far cry from the vibrant, considerably more affordable neighbourhoods that stood before.
To be sure, there are some bright spots. As the credits start to roll, we see Leilani meet with Jean-Yves Duclos (now the President of the Treasury Board) to convince him to help push the federal government to recognize the right to housing; in 2019, Canada did just that. The final third of the film also shows Leilani as she launches The Shift to further advocate for the realization of housing as a fundamental human right across the world. These examples inspire hope and make me feel (somewhat) more confident that real change can be brought about.
But with all that said, the lasting image from the film is that of the charred tusk of London’s Grenfell Tower—the site of a devasting fire in 2017 that left 72 dead and many more homeless. Despite the scale of this tragedy, no criminal charges have yet been made in relation to the fire, and, shockingly, there are still Grenfell residents who have not yet found permanent housing. In this way, the heartbreaking example of Grenfell clearly demonstrates two things: the importance of pushing (so to speak) for policies and real reforms that ensure affordable housing, and the potential costs of not doing so.
