Social Justice – Sustainable Urban Future

The Subway Sandwich Fairy was here! — “Random kindness and senseless acts of beauty” in the form of a tray of sandwiches half-submerged in snow. Photo Credit: Audrey F. Henderson — All Rights Reserved

Dear Subway Sandwich Fairy:

I hope you don’t mind that I’ve given you this nickname. It seems fitting given the tray of fifteen Subway sandwiches in a sealed container that you left on a bench at Chase Plaza in the middle of downtown Chicago. I have no idea who you really are, but I know one important thing about you: you are a kind, caring person who wishes to preserve the privacy and dignity of those hungry people who happen to consume one or more of those sandwiches.

Continue reading “Dear Subway Sandwich Fairy: Thank You for Paying It Forward”

Avoid Foreclosure — Short sales and strategic default allow desperate homeowners to escape the financial burden of underwater mortgages . Photo credit: Audrey F. Henderson, all rights reserved.

The Housing Market and the Economy

Before the housing market crisis threatened the collapse of the American economy, housing prices formed the foundation of an apparent economic boom. Unfortunately, much of that boom was built on a bubble of speculation, in the housing market and elsewhere. When the bubble burst, the economy slid into a deep recession not seen since the days of the Great Depression in the 1930s.

The economy has technically been in recovery since 2009, and many large corporations, along with Wall Street, have enjoyed record profits and all time highs. However, many sectors, especially employment and housing, have lagged far behind. One of the major factors dragging the pace of the recovery is the high number of underwater mortgages. Unless and until America solves its housing problem once and for all, it’s difficult to imagine an economy that truly feels like a recovery for everyday Americans. Continue reading “Will Underwater Mortgages Sink the Economy?”