3 ms·

We need a new way to buy-build-rent housing. The current one is not sustainable. https://ssir.org/articles/entry/innovative_solutions_for_the_housing_crisis ht

We need a new way to buy-build-rent housing. The current one is not sustainable. https://ssir.org/articles/entry/innovative_solutions_for_the_housing_crisis https://ssir.org/articles/entry/innovative_solutions_for_the... Interesting, though, the lessons learned from mobile homes (trailer parks), which in theory offer cheaper housing but end up being swindled. We need to avoid these mistakes: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/may/03/owning-trailer-parks-mobile-home-university-investment https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/may/03/owning-... We also need to stop building in flood plains, as tax dollars are wasted bailing out wealthy developers: https://progressive.org/op-eds/stop-building-in-floodplains-festing-190618/ https://progressive.org/op-eds/stop-building-in-floodplains-... https://theconversation.com/to-stop-risky-developments-in-floodplains-we-have-to-tackle-the-profit-motive-and-our-false-sense-of-security-184062 https://theconversation.com/to-stop-risky-developments-in-fl...

cjtrowbridge 4y ago
The answer is nonprofit Community Development Corporations. They get lots of special funding sources which allow them to buy or develop housing and rent it out affordably. I recently finished a degree focused on this model at SFSU. There are a few really good examples like CCDC and TNDC in SF. Both of these have acquired about 4,500 units of housing so far, all of which are affordable. Many of the other districts have or want something similar. This is the only general-purpose solution I've found to nonprofit affordable community development of not just housing but also many other types of infrastructure projects. It's just not possible to build for-profit inventory that's affordable; the cost per unit is too high. But there are lots of exciting ways to fund nonprofit affordable housing, and the CDC model
throwaway313313 4y ago
The term homeless in California is mostly a politically expedient mislabeling. Most of the homeless are drug addicts that are not able to maintain a job or pay for car insurance. They aren't going to be able to pay rent. Recognizing this ends up turning this into a way harder problem, with extremely divergent suggested solutions. Instead people work on the easier problem of housing people, that at least is solvable, and that most people can agree on, even if it absolutely doesn't solve the actual problems of the drug addicts (that are being called homeless because that's nicer to think about and easier to work on). (Agreed about tax dollars should not be spent building in flood plains.)
- actually_a_dog 4y ago
  > The term homeless in California is mostly a politically expedient mislabeling. > Most of the homeless are drug addicts that are not able to maintain a job or pay for car insurance. They aren't going to be able to pay rent. I'm going to say this straight up, without the passive aggressive "citation needed" business: I do not believe you, but you have the opportunity to convince me by providing sources.
- redanddead 4y ago
  Alright so you've provided your analysis, give your take of a solution that you would be proud of.
- yellowapple 4y ago
  > Most of the homeless are drug addicts Most of the drug-addicted homeless persons are drug addicts because they're homeless.

cjtrowbridge 4y ago

The answer is nonprofit Community Development Corporations. They get lots of special funding sources which allow them to buy or develop housing and rent it out affordably. I recently finished a degree focused on this model at SFSU. There are a few really good examples like CCDC and TNDC in SF. Both of these have acquired about 4,500 units of housing so far, all of which are affordable. Many of the other districts have or want something similar. This is the only general-purpose solution I've found to nonprofit affordable community development of not just housing but also many other types of infrastructure projects. It's just not possible to build for-profit inventory that's affordable; the cost per unit is too high. But there are lots of exciting ways to fund nonprofit affordable housing, and the CDC model

throwaway313313 4y ago

The term homeless in California is mostly a politically expedient mislabeling. Most of the homeless are drug addicts that are not able to maintain a job or pay for car insurance. They aren't going to be able to pay rent. Recognizing this ends up turning this into a way harder problem, with extremely divergent suggested solutions. Instead people work on the easier problem of housing people, that at least is solvable, and that most people can agree on, even if it absolutely doesn't solve the actual problems of the drug addicts (that are being called homeless because that's nicer to think about and easier to work on). (Agreed about tax dollars should not be spent building in flood plains.)

actually_a_dog 4y ago
> The term homeless in California is mostly a politically expedient mislabeling. > Most of the homeless are drug addicts that are not able to maintain a job or pay for car insurance. They aren't going to be able to pay rent. I'm going to say this straight up, without the passive aggressive "citation needed" business: I do not believe you, but you have the opportunity to convince me by providing sources.
redanddead 4y ago
Alright so you've provided your analysis, give your take of a solution that you would be proud of.
yellowapple 4y ago
> Most of the homeless are drug addicts Most of the drug-addicted homeless persons are drug addicts because they're homeless.