Washington’s politics have shifted sharply in the past decade as a new generation—shaped by academic narratives that soften Marxist theory and downplay the human toll of collectivist systems—brings fundamentally different assumptions about property, markets, and the state. Ideas once confined to classrooms now drive mainstream proposals on rent control, eviction law, property rights, and regulatory expansion, directly affecting how housing providers operate and invest. This trend is spreading nationwide.

In this keynote, Dr. Eric Patterson draws on his work at the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation to explain how these frameworks emerged, why they’re gaining momentum, and what rental housing professionals must understand now.