ABSTRACT
A common American way of maintaining inequality is to categorize basic human rights as luxuries. Owning a home has long been a mainstay of the "American Dream" and a central component of long-term economic security. Constitutions from across the world bear witness to how egalitarian values can inform the meaningful enshrinement of rights relevant to economic security. Medical costs pose a significant challenge to US economic security. Difficulty accessing affordable housing may necessitate renting, but that too has become more difficult in the wake of the recent economic downturn. The extent to which affordable housing for the working class is reconstituted as a luxury can be seen via the commonality of arguments deprioritizing housing subsidization in favor of meeting the expectations of the already-housed. In other words, luxury by the food secure is seen as threatened by attempts to create food security for others, so others' food security is, in turn, framed as luxury.
