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Is it just me, or does this seem like a another example of how housing in CA is broken? The demand is totally insatiable. I grew up in the state, and am in the

Is it just me, or does this seem like a another example of how housing in CA is broken? The demand is totally insatiable. I grew up in the state, and am in the East Coast for now (which also has its own problems), but I can't imagine moving back if I had to live in an ADU. The whole concept of an ADU just seems like a bad sign for the market, not mention the increase in traffic bc more density = more people. You would think the market would normalize and people would move to other states, which is happening, yet people are contemplating making these mini houses. Yet another symptom of American standard of living decreasing -- younger people are just getting less with the same amount of money. That's the root of the problem.

outer_web 2y ago
Is insatiable demand equivalent to 'broken' housing? Seems like the latter is a pejorative and the former is the better of two possible problems. Considering people live in apartments and condos, what's the problem with an ADU (or tinyhouse as they called them years ago)? The density/traffic thing is not straightforward. Increased capacity will add traffic, sure. To the extent that capacity remains static and people can live closer to their commute destinations, you have fewer people taking longer trips and more people taking shorter trips (or other transport). Obviously both of these will be the case. As will people moving from high density housing to ADUs in the suburbs. Agreed on the standard of living issue.
Daishiman 2y ago
> I can't imagine moving back if I had to live in an ADU. People have different imagination from you > I can't imagine moving back if I had to live in an ADU. More density implies that services get built closer together. A corner store needs a high level of density to exist, but when it does it cuts down your trips to a large grocery store. I live in a dense city. I have a grocer half a block away, 10 coffee shops in a 5-block radius, etc. You have an extremely Americanized view of a fundamentally unsustainable housing mechanism; American car-dependent suburbs don't make any sense as the main source of housing.
- game_the0ry 2y ago
  > I live in a dense city. I have a grocer half a block away, 10 coffee shops in a 5-block radius, etc "Density in CA" is not the same as "Density in Copenhagen/NY/Berlin/etc". Density in CA means it takes you an hour to drive to get to Whole Foods that's 7 miles away bc of traffic, something I experienced in Venice Beach. Density in CA makes already bad traffic way worse, and its not like the infrastructure is going to upgrade such that coffee shops spring up on every neighborhood corner. > You have an extremely Americanized view of a fundamentally unsustainable housing mechanism Bc I live in America. > American car-dependent suburbs don't make any sense as the main source of housing. Agreed, but I do not think ADUs make much sense in a suburban area that does not support the infrastructure for more dense housing.
  - aprilthird2021 2y ago
    Density in CA is bad because we don't build up. If we built up, there would be enough customers for you to not need to go to Whole Foods and instead be able to hit up a smaller grocer on your block without getting in a car. Traffic is bad because we don't have density we have sprawl
ahmeneeroe-v2 2y ago
A starter home in the 1950s is so much closer to an ADU than the median SFH from 1990+
aprilthird2021 2y ago
The demand has nothing to do with it. SF should look like Tokyo, but California gave away its right to be the king of the world economy so it could hand over feudal fiefdoms to retirees and old people who bought houses when they were worth $10 each.

outer_web 2y ago

Is insatiable demand equivalent to 'broken' housing? Seems like the latter is a pejorative and the former is the better of two possible problems. Considering people live in apartments and condos, what's the problem with an ADU (or tinyhouse as they called them years ago)? The density/traffic thing is not straightforward. Increased capacity will add traffic, sure. To the extent that capacity remains static and people can live closer to their commute destinations, you have fewer people taking longer trips and more people taking shorter trips (or other transport). Obviously both of these will be the case. As will people moving from high density housing to ADUs in the suburbs. Agreed on the standard of living issue.

Daishiman 2y ago

> I can't imagine moving back if I had to live in an ADU. People have different imagination from you > I can't imagine moving back if I had to live in an ADU. More density implies that services get built closer together. A corner store needs a high level of density to exist, but when it does it cuts down your trips to a large grocery store. I live in a dense city. I have a grocer half a block away, 10 coffee shops in a 5-block radius, etc. You have an extremely Americanized view of a fundamentally unsustainable housing mechanism; American car-dependent suburbs don't make any sense as the main source of housing.

game_the0ry 2y ago
> I live in a dense city. I have a grocer half a block away, 10 coffee shops in a 5-block radius, etc "Density in CA" is not the same as "Density in Copenhagen/NY/Berlin/etc". Density in CA means it takes you an hour to drive to get to Whole Foods that's 7 miles away bc of traffic, something I experienced in Venice Beach. Density in CA makes already bad traffic way worse, and its not like the infrastructure is going to upgrade such that coffee shops spring up on every neighborhood corner. > You have an extremely Americanized view of a fundamentally unsustainable housing mechanism Bc I live in America. > American car-dependent suburbs don't make any sense as the main source of housing. Agreed, but I do not think ADUs make much sense in a suburban area that does not support the infrastructure for more dense housing.
- aprilthird2021 2y ago
  Density in CA is bad because we don't build up. If we built up, there would be enough customers for you to not need to go to Whole Foods and instead be able to hit up a smaller grocer on your block without getting in a car. Traffic is bad because we don't have density we have sprawl

ahmeneeroe-v2 2y ago

A starter home in the 1950s is so much closer to an ADU than the median SFH from 1990+

aprilthird2021 2y ago

The demand has nothing to do with it. SF should look like Tokyo, but California gave away its right to be the king of the world economy so it could hand over feudal fiefdoms to retirees and old people who bought houses when they were worth $10 each.