Houses on Hudson: Using Documentary Film to Explore Exclusionary Zoning and Affordable Housing Development in the New York Suburbs

Abstract

In this thesis, I use the medium of documentary filmmaking to examine efforts to develop fair and affordable housing in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York. Hastings is an affluent, predominantly white suburban town located in Westchester County; increasingly high housing prices and exclusionary land use practices uphold local housing segregation, mirroring many other suburban communities across the country. Specifically, this thesis explores how stated values of inclusion and progressive ideology come in tension with underlying desires related to homeownership. The result is a short documentary, “Houses on Hudson,” and an accompanying narrative outlining the motivation, process, and takeaways from this artistic intervention.