Over the last fifty years housing law has evolved in a number of significant ways. Where once a lease was primarily a transfer of an interest in land, it is now primarily a contract. Where formerly a landlord could rent or not rent to whomever the landlord chose, a variety of federal and state anti-discrimination laws now limit the landlord's unbridled choices. Rent control laws now limit the ability of landlords to raise rents, to evict tenants, to convert their buildings to condominiums, etc. Public housing and governmentally subsidized housing has generated much heated debate as well as litigation over such issues as the location of the developments or the number of subsidized units in a given city, handicapped discrimination, racial discrimination, and drug evictions. Finally, landlords now find that they are increasingly liable in tort because of claims of inadequate security, lead poisoning, etc. This seminar will focus on the various policy, legislative, and social aspects of the issues surrounding rent control, public housing, subsidized housing, condominiums, housing discrimination, zoning (as it affects housing), environmental problems in housing and premises liability. Student presentations and papers are required. LIMITED WRITING REQUIREMENT OPTION: A limited number of students may be permitted to satisfy the upper-class writing requirement with the approval of the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. ** A student who fails to attend the initial meeting of a seminar, or to obtain permission to be absent from either the instructor or the Registrar, will be administratively dropped from the seminar. Students who waitlist for a seminar are required to attend the first seminar meeting to be considered for enrollment.