And a United Nations investigator has opened a probe into the US housing crisis. Raquel Rolnik, the UN Special Rapporteur on Adequate Housing, will investigate issues including public housing, homelessness and foreclosures. On Thursday, Rolnik held a public meeting with housing activists in New York.

UN Special Rapporteur on Adequate Housing Raquel Rolnik: “If we take housing as a human right, you have to go back to the idea that housing is a social issue before and more priority than housing as a commodity, as a financial asset.”

As part of her inquiry Rolnik is expected to visit at least six other cities and towns, including Chicago, Los Angeles and New Orleans.