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Or, you know, we could allow construction of housing that people can actually afford. Portland's Willamette Week free newspaper had a great writeup of the issu

Or, you know, we could allow construction of housing that people can actually afford. Portland's Willamette Week free newspaper had a great writeup of the issues last year: http://www.wweek.com/news/2016/09/28/portland-needs-to-build-thousands-of-affordable-apartments-heres-why-it-keeps-coming-up-short/ http://www.wweek.com/news/2016/09/28/portland-needs-to-build... But apparently if we allowed houses that people could afford, then the housing might not all be in sufficiently trendy neighborhoods. And some of it might not be pretty enough. And some of our buddies in the "affordable housing" nonprofits might miss out on the funding. The horrors! So instead we leave people to live in tents under highway bridges. Good job Portland. When Willamette Week is calling you out for being too anti-corporate, you know you have a problem.

Top19 9y ago
Was at a city council meeting where I live for a developer to build 380 apartments. It was a very nice deal, the apartments were mid-range in costs, they were going to include a park, and there was going to be shopping on the 1st floor. It would replace a 40 year old legacy strip-shopping mall. Jesus Christ the people of Austin, Texas fought this thing like it was a toxic waste dump for disposed of Ebola Virus experiments. Also the city council meeting was just dominated by OLD PEOPLE, I truly never had any idea how much politics was generational until that night. Ultimately the city council isn’t stupid and voted to allow the developer to rezone, so I guess it worked out, but still such a haunting image of selfishness.
- hkmurakami 9y ago
  I've been an observer an impacted neighboring resident for a development in my neighborhood (fwiw I'm pragmatic about these things and have a cooperative relationship with the developer). Can attest that the council's and committees are 95% old people. And tbh the workload burden to review a development proposal is pretty heavy, and you'd basically have to be semi retired to want to do this.

Top19 9y ago

Was at a city council meeting where I live for a developer to build 380 apartments. It was a very nice deal, the apartments were mid-range in costs, they were going to include a park, and there was going to be shopping on the 1st floor. It would replace a 40 year old legacy strip-shopping mall. Jesus Christ the people of Austin, Texas fought this thing like it was a toxic waste dump for disposed of Ebola Virus experiments. Also the city council meeting was just dominated by OLD PEOPLE, I truly never had any idea how much politics was generational until that night. Ultimately the city council isn’t stupid and voted to allow the developer to rezone, so I guess it worked out, but still such a haunting image of selfishness.

hkmurakami 9y ago
I've been an observer an impacted neighboring resident for a development in my neighborhood (fwiw I'm pragmatic about these things and have a cooperative relationship with the developer). Can attest that the council's and committees are 95% old people. And tbh the workload burden to review a development proposal is pretty heavy, and you'd basically have to be semi retired to want to do this.