As we prepare for the closing and de-installation of Foreclosed: Rehousing the American Dream next week, I’ve had the opportunity to reflect further on the underpinnings of the project and its implications at both the national and local levels.

The five proposals in Foreclosed were predicated on the idea of re-examining the current conditions that both brought the “American Dream” of single-family home ownership into being—and accelerated its demise. The interdisciplinary teams were encouraged to reconsider the possible, and, when necessary, propose new financial and legal frameworks to enable their housing and infrastructure plans to be realized.

Because the teams were tasked with presenting provocations and not solutions to the foreclosure crisis, we were able to use their proposals as a starting point for a discussion at MoMA on June 13 with Marc Jahr, President of the NYC Housing Development Corporation, and Brian Loughlin, Chief Architect, Jersey City Housing Authority. Marc and Brian reflected on ways in which the five Foreclosed team proposals could be applied to the New York and New Jersey regions, both to help emphasize the fact that the projects were intended to be seen as representational archetypes as opposed to proscriptive solutions, and to shift the emphasis from the national to the local agenda.

The presentations and discussion focused on reactions to the exhibition and the possible ramifications of the proposals at the local regional level. We recorded the discussion and wanted to post it here for those that were unable to attend the event.

I’d like to thank everyone that followed the MoMA PS1 workshops and the exhibition’s progress here online. I hope that the questions and issues we’ve begun to address will continue to resonate.