4 ms·

As a resident, you're spot on. The existing rail infra was fucked over by NIMBYs before it even got started, and all future efforts related to public transit g

by ajford 5y ago

As a resident, you're spot on. The existing rail infra was fucked over by NIMBYs before it even got started, and all future efforts related to public transit get screwed over as well. A ton of money was dumped into Mopac/Loop 1 and so much of it ended up in walls to cut the sound down in high-value residential areas instead of improving congestion areas. A large portion of real estate/housing is being purchased by investors tossing money way over asking prices, driving up the local cost. Housing in the area has now raised by ~2X in most parts of the city and it's outskirts. I was on my way towards being able to purchase a house in 2020 before the pandemic struck, then with the economic downturn a massive influx of outside investors took the market by storm. Between mid-2020 and now the target area I've been keeping an eye on went from a median home value of $275k to $485k. Many are now being relisted for rent and the rental market is rising fast as well. I think we're already seeing the same gentrification/cost of living rise, and it's only the beginning.

clpm4j 5y ago
How's the homelessness situation looking in Austin? I remember it being pretty noticeable but not too bad a few years ago.
- ajford 5y ago
  Not good either. The city isn't putting enough effort into supporting these individuals, and their choice of shelter locations is mindbogglingly in a lot of cases, but perhaps that's more of a "which came first" thing. There are a few great programs that I think have a lot of potential (Community First Village, The Other Ones Foundation, House the Homeless), but there's a lot of NIMBY for it. On top of that, there's a lot of trash and messy camps in places that don't help the fight. The underpasses around here got real bad for a year or two which caused a recent vote on a camping ban that effectively made their encampments illegal. It doesn't solve the problem and only serves to keep these people in danger and without a solid place to rebuild their lives, but when using the underpasses becomes dangerous due to the trash lying around and ending up in the turn-arounds it's a hard thing to live with. Community First Village and Other Ones Foundation does a lot to help by providing places for these individuals to rebuild their lives, but the shitty wages and rising housing costs make it hard too.
  - abernard1 5y ago
    To clmp4j, the parent's response is why Austin will be SF 2.0 Austin in early 2019 was the kind of place you could walk down the street with little kids at 1st and the river at midnight and feel safe. It was beautiful and open and friendly, and started becoming much worse even prior to Covid. Since then violent crime has skyrocketed (despite actually going down in much larger metros like DFW and Houston) and homelessness is out of control because the Mayor made it illegal to enforce the existing ban on encampments. And yet, despite everything getting worse in Austin relative to Houston or Dallas, the moneyed class in Austin will act like their boutique issues are the reason Austin isn't better. The people that move there have amazing cognitive dissonance: they're political refugees who want to install the existing regime in their new "home."

by ajford 5y ago

clpm4j 5y ago

How's the homelessness situation looking in Austin? I remember it being pretty noticeable but not too bad a few years ago.

ajford 5y ago
Not good either. The city isn't putting enough effort into supporting these individuals, and their choice of shelter locations is mindbogglingly in a lot of cases, but perhaps that's more of a "which came first" thing. There are a few great programs that I think have a lot of potential (Community First Village, The Other Ones Foundation, House the Homeless), but there's a lot of NIMBY for it. On top of that, there's a lot of trash and messy camps in places that don't help the fight. The underpasses around here got real bad for a year or two which caused a recent vote on a camping ban that effectively made their encampments illegal. It doesn't solve the problem and only serves to keep these people in danger and without a solid place to rebuild their lives, but when using the underpasses becomes dangerous due to the trash lying around and ending up in the turn-arounds it's a hard thing to live with. Community First Village and Other Ones Foundation does a lot to help by providing places for these individuals to rebuild their lives, but the shitty wages and rising housing costs make it hard too.
- abernard1 5y ago
  To clmp4j, the parent's response is why Austin will be SF 2.0 Austin in early 2019 was the kind of place you could walk down the street with little kids at 1st and the river at midnight and feel safe. It was beautiful and open and friendly, and started becoming much worse even prior to Covid. Since then violent crime has skyrocketed (despite actually going down in much larger metros like DFW and Houston) and homelessness is out of control because the Mayor made it illegal to enforce the existing ban on encampments. And yet, despite everything getting worse in Austin relative to Houston or Dallas, the moneyed class in Austin will act like their boutique issues are the reason Austin isn't better. The people that move there have amazing cognitive dissonance: they're political refugees who want to install the existing regime in their new "home."