Rise of the "Apodments"

"'Politically, it’s a coalition of the greedy and the well-meaning that led to the banning of private-sector affordable housing in our cities,' he says. The well-meaning folks were appalled by the living conditions of poor and working-class families. The greedy folks were appalled by the prospect of living next to them. Together, this awkward alliance helped advocate laws that established minimum living conditions not simply for safety, but also to define how much space an individual should reasonably be expected to live in."

Emily Badger at The Atlantic calls for the return of boarding houses.