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I come to understand that its not legally/economically feasible to build affordable housing largely from this post "I'm an architect in LA specializing in mult

I come to understand that its not legally/economically feasible to build affordable housing largely from this post "I'm an architect in LA specializing in multifamily residential. I'd like to do my best to explain a little understood reason why all new large development in LA seems to be luxury development" https://www.reddit.com/r/LosAngeles/comments/6lvwh4/im_an_architect_in_la_specializing_in_multifamily/ https://www.reddit.com/r/LosAngeles/comments/6lvwh4/im_an_ar...

48snickers 9y ago
The reasons outlined on that thread are very specific to the Los Angeles area. Not that crazy regulations don't exist in SF, but the car-centric parking space regulations in Los Angeles are a huge part of the outlined cost. I don't think that applies broadly.
- loeg 9y ago
  Car-centric parking space regulation is very common in American cities, not just LA.
  - mandelbrotwurst 9y ago
    I don't know this for sure, but as someone who lives in SF, I would guess that's less the case here than in LA. The city is much less supportive of private vehicle ownership (for good reason imo, but that's a bit off-topic) than most cities in the U.S.
    - dkasper 9y ago
      That's true now but up until the 2000s SF did have residential parking requirements for most of the city.
  - ryandrake 9y ago
    And thank goodness for that! As much as everyone here hates cars, the unfortunate fact is we currently need them. If I could snap my fingers and be able to afford a $1.2M "starter home" within walking distance to work, trust me, I would do it in a heartbeat. If there were any politicians serious about building useful public transit, I'd vote for them. But, for now, at least in most metro areas (where the jobs are), most people can only afford to live in places where you need a car to get anywhere.
    - davidw 9y ago
      We should be free to choose how much parking we need, and pay for it: http://www.bendbulletin.com/opinion/5249862-151/guest-column-end-bends-mininum-parking-requirements http://www.bendbulletin.com/opinion/5249862-151/guest-column...
      - mantas 9y ago
        I live in a country where very little parking is required and whatever parking is built is either free-for-all or come at a huge price. People cheap out, but still expect to drive. The end result is parking in grey-legal spots, parking in too narrow streets making it dangerous, parking in ex-greenery-now-sandy-parking-lot and whatnot. And lots of bad blood between neighbours who took whose spot :) Yes, there're rules to fine such behaviour. But it'd be political suicide to enforce those rules because everybody breaks them.
        davidw 9y ago
        There was some of that where I lived in Italy, very little in Austria, and it was all much better than having vast, empty parking lots sitting there while house prices climb and climb. https://www.google.com/maps/@44.0492073,-121.3266077,3a,75y,154.14h,90.15t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s7tal1gFwoa3gFpp9NJ617Q!2e0!7i13312!8i6656 https://www.google.com/maps/@44.0492073,-121.3266077,3a,75y,... Is a pretty common sight in the US. What a colossal waste of land! Here's the book everyone cites on the issue: https://www.amazon.com/High-Cost-Free-Parking-Updated/dp/193236496X https://www.amazon.com/High-Cost-Free-Parking-Updated/dp/193...
        mantas 9y ago
        Oh, I'm definitely not advocating for such massive parking lots. Just saying that having little parking lots sucks too. I'm talking about soviet times bloks with parking for 0.2 car/apartment or so. By the way, over there housing costs climb regardless of little parking required. Apartments in central locations (= walkable/bikable to most offices) cost a shitload of money compared to houses in suburbs. Especially once you step in family-sized market.
wmf 9y ago
It's not feasible to build new affordable housing, which is why the article says some people are arguing that building new luxury housing will reduce demand and thus affordability for older housing.
- oh_sigh 9y ago
  Right...build new luxury housing, and then middle income people will start moving into luxury housing of years past. This happens frequently in other places, where you can find old houses which belonged to very well off families now being occupied by completely middle class folks, because what was once luxurious is now burdensome for those with the means to make the choice.
  - davidw 9y ago
    It's called 'filtering', and it does work, but it takes time: https://oregoneconomicanalysis.com/2016/05/25/housing-does-filter/ https://oregoneconomicanalysis.com/2016/05/25/housing-does-f...
Robotbeat 9y ago
If the question is whether we should develop policies (i.e. laws) that enable more affordable housing, then I fail to see why you should use existing law as an argument for why it can't work. I mean, yeah, existing law makes it hard to get affordable housing. But that's what we're trying to change! It's flawed reasoning to use whatever the law is to argue against what the law ought to be.

48snickers 9y ago

The reasons outlined on that thread are very specific to the Los Angeles area. Not that crazy regulations don't exist in SF, but the car-centric parking space regulations in Los Angeles are a huge part of the outlined cost. I don't think that applies broadly.

loeg 9y ago
Car-centric parking space regulation is very common in American cities, not just LA.
- mandelbrotwurst 9y ago
  I don't know this for sure, but as someone who lives in SF, I would guess that's less the case here than in LA. The city is much less supportive of private vehicle ownership (for good reason imo, but that's a bit off-topic) than most cities in the U.S.
  - dkasper 9y ago
    That's true now but up until the 2000s SF did have residential parking requirements for most of the city.
- ryandrake 9y ago
  And thank goodness for that! As much as everyone here hates cars, the unfortunate fact is we currently need them. If I could snap my fingers and be able to afford a $1.2M "starter home" within walking distance to work, trust me, I would do it in a heartbeat. If there were any politicians serious about building useful public transit, I'd vote for them. But, for now, at least in most metro areas (where the jobs are), most people can only afford to live in places where you need a car to get anywhere.
  - davidw 9y ago
    We should be free to choose how much parking we need, and pay for it: http://www.bendbulletin.com/opinion/5249862-151/guest-column-end-bends-mininum-parking-requirements http://www.bendbulletin.com/opinion/5249862-151/guest-column...
    - mantas 9y ago
      I live in a country where very little parking is required and whatever parking is built is either free-for-all or come at a huge price. People cheap out, but still expect to drive. The end result is parking in grey-legal spots, parking in too narrow streets making it dangerous, parking in ex-greenery-now-sandy-parking-lot and whatnot. And lots of bad blood between neighbours who took whose spot :) Yes, there're rules to fine such behaviour. But it'd be political suicide to enforce those rules because everybody breaks them.
      - davidw 9y ago
        There was some of that where I lived in Italy, very little in Austria, and it was all much better than having vast, empty parking lots sitting there while house prices climb and climb. https://www.google.com/maps/@44.0492073,-121.3266077,3a,75y,154.14h,90.15t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s7tal1gFwoa3gFpp9NJ617Q!2e0!7i13312!8i6656 https://www.google.com/maps/@44.0492073,-121.3266077,3a,75y,... Is a pretty common sight in the US. What a colossal waste of land! Here's the book everyone cites on the issue: https://www.amazon.com/High-Cost-Free-Parking-Updated/dp/193236496X https://www.amazon.com/High-Cost-Free-Parking-Updated/dp/193...
        mantas 9y ago
        Oh, I'm definitely not advocating for such massive parking lots. Just saying that having little parking lots sucks too. I'm talking about soviet times bloks with parking for 0.2 car/apartment or so. By the way, over there housing costs climb regardless of little parking required. Apartments in central locations (= walkable/bikable to most offices) cost a shitload of money compared to houses in suburbs. Especially once you step in family-sized market.

wmf 9y ago

It's not feasible to build new affordable housing, which is why the article says some people are arguing that building new luxury housing will reduce demand and thus affordability for older housing.

oh_sigh 9y ago
Right...build new luxury housing, and then middle income people will start moving into luxury housing of years past. This happens frequently in other places, where you can find old houses which belonged to very well off families now being occupied by completely middle class folks, because what was once luxurious is now burdensome for those with the means to make the choice.
- davidw 9y ago
  It's called 'filtering', and it does work, but it takes time: https://oregoneconomicanalysis.com/2016/05/25/housing-does-filter/ https://oregoneconomicanalysis.com/2016/05/25/housing-does-f...

Robotbeat 9y ago

If the question is whether we should develop policies (i.e. laws) that enable more affordable housing, then I fail to see why you should use existing law as an argument for why it can't work. I mean, yeah, existing law makes it hard to get affordable housing. But that's what we're trying to change! It's flawed reasoning to use whatever the law is to argue against what the law ought to be.