4 ms·

or just institute a UBI program specifically covering housing that is the average rent cost for a 2 bedroom apartment in the locale in which you live. So you a

or just institute a UBI program specifically covering housing that is the average rent cost for a 2 bedroom apartment in the locale in which you live. So you always have rent covered, regardless of your paycheck. They could maybe double that, and have it cover food stamps too, to cut out some of the administrative costs to manage both programs. This works for married couples too, because you'd get double that, which is closer to what a mortgage would be, and would esp, help lower income families. I think we could look into a VAT if needed for supplmental tax to cover it, but there's plenty of governmental spending we could also cut like maybe 1/3rd of the defense budget for one.

bonestormii_ 6y ago
I agree, but I also believe housing regulation and health care reform must accompany these things. Allowing these markets to buoy with the increase in everyone's income will negate the positive impact, having the effect of routing the additional income into the hands of the same people who already hold all of the wealth.
- gremlinsinc 6y ago
  Not sure on housing regulations, but definitely need healthcare for everybody. Couldn't hurt to have the government also build some public housing to offset supply. It'd probably be cheaper. In the old west you could stake a claim on some land and just build a house, and live in it. Those days are long gone and aren't coming back. So there needs to be some other contract that can guarantee a home for everybody.
rayiner 6y ago
Do you have any idea of the scale of the numbers you’re talking about here? 1/3 of the defense budget is nothing, about $250 billion. A UBI that’s double the cost of a 2BR in NYC would be $7,500 per month, or $540 billion per year for every adult in NYC. And NYC is just 2.5% of the country’s population. You’d have to cut 1/3 of the defense budget about 80 times.
- bonestormii_ 6y ago
  It's almost as if $7,500/month for a 2BR apartment is ridiculous, no matter where it is.
  - pb7 6y ago
    It costs what it costs because of supply and demand. If you paid for people’s housing no matter where they wanted to live, everyone would move to highly desirable areas and $7,500 would look like pocket change because the demand would greatly exceed the supply.
    - gremlinsinc 6y ago
      Maybe the government should instead invest in lowering demand by creating decent homes for < $1000 in a skyscraper or something in NY. Seems to me the problem is a supply issue, and we just need a bigger supply. That's an easy solve.
- gremlinsinc 6y ago
  wear are you getting those numbers? This site shows $1700 for a 2br in brooklyn. https://www.apartments.com/brooklyn-ny/2-bedrooms/?so=2 https://www.apartments.com/brooklyn-ny/2-bedrooms/?so=2

bonestormii_ 6y ago

I agree, but I also believe housing regulation and health care reform must accompany these things. Allowing these markets to buoy with the increase in everyone's income will negate the positive impact, having the effect of routing the additional income into the hands of the same people who already hold all of the wealth.

gremlinsinc 6y ago
Not sure on housing regulations, but definitely need healthcare for everybody. Couldn't hurt to have the government also build some public housing to offset supply. It'd probably be cheaper. In the old west you could stake a claim on some land and just build a house, and live in it. Those days are long gone and aren't coming back. So there needs to be some other contract that can guarantee a home for everybody.

rayiner 6y ago

Do you have any idea of the scale of the numbers you’re talking about here? 1/3 of the defense budget is nothing, about $250 billion. A UBI that’s double the cost of a 2BR in NYC would be $7,500 per month, or $540 billion per year for every adult in NYC. And NYC is just 2.5% of the country’s population. You’d have to cut 1/3 of the defense budget about 80 times.

bonestormii_ 6y ago
It's almost as if $7,500/month for a 2BR apartment is ridiculous, no matter where it is.
- pb7 6y ago
  It costs what it costs because of supply and demand. If you paid for people’s housing no matter where they wanted to live, everyone would move to highly desirable areas and $7,500 would look like pocket change because the demand would greatly exceed the supply.
  - gremlinsinc 6y ago
    Maybe the government should instead invest in lowering demand by creating decent homes for < $1000 in a skyscraper or something in NY. Seems to me the problem is a supply issue, and we just need a bigger supply. That's an easy solve.
gremlinsinc 6y ago
wear are you getting those numbers? This site shows $1700 for a 2br in brooklyn. https://www.apartments.com/brooklyn-ny/2-bedrooms/?so=2 https://www.apartments.com/brooklyn-ny/2-bedrooms/?so=2