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Tokyo's suburban housing became vast ghettoes for the old

theguardian.com

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Re: Tokyo's suburban housing became vast ghettoes for the old

#41

Post by sjg007 »

npunt wrote: post #13

In everything from technology to culture to aging, Japan seems to be a portent for things yet to happen in the west. We tend to view suburbs as these static places that serve a particular purpose for primarily families and where nothing changes. But in fact suburbs are starting to transform into de facto retirement communities as boomers exit the workforce, due in large part to incentives from certain laws that keep…

One solution for Cupertino would be open enrollment if they haven’t implemented it yet. But there’s an issue where older people don’t sell because there is nothing for them to buy. There’s a big push accessory dwelling units now which basically the owner could move into and either rent or sell the main property. That’s a potential way to create more housing. It’s probably a drop in the bucket though.. I’m not sure if the expected number of ADUs would satisfy much demand.

Re: Tokyo's suburban housing became vast ghettoes for the old

#42

Post by sjg007 »

gopi wrote: post #32
npunt wrote: post #13

In everything from technology to culture to aging, Japan seems to be a portent for things yet to happen in the west. We tend to view suburbs as these static places that serve a particular purpose for primarily families and where nothing changes. But in fact suburbs are starting to transform into de facto retirement communities as boomers exit the workforce, due in large part to incentives from certain laws that keep…

This is a issue particular to California because of Prop 13. In many other places in US, the housing stock circulate as people go thro life changes. Not so much in California

Seniors can transfer their property tax from their previous property to the new one.

Re: Tokyo's suburban housing became vast ghettoes for the old

#43

Post by cydonian_monk »

jseliger wrote: post #34
ilamont wrote: post #9

Several of the examples in the article hinted at familial estrangement, which makes things much worse. I lived in Taiwan, which also has a stagnant birth rate (only 181,606 births last year, https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3611847 ) and a decades-long trend for young people to migrate to the large cities, or go to China to try their fortunes there. But there is also a strong tradition of multi-generational hous…

hinted at familial estrangement, which makes things much worse This article appeared on HN a few weeks ago: https://www.city-journal.org/decline-of-family-loneliness-ep... and has stayed with me. Perhaps it'll stay with me forever.

Wow, I missed that one. The first several paragraphs make it read like something I need to sit down and give some undivided focus. Seems very well written.

I can certainly offer some anecdata to it. My family died 20 years ago with my grandmother. (Or rather it _really_ died when the question came up of who should care for my Alzheimer's-afflicted grandfather.) Before then we were a tightly-knit group; after, a rapidly unrolled ball of yarn. And as the only child of two divorced (since I was 2 weeks old!) and bitter parents, that was basically it for me. I'm occasionally in contact with a couple of my cousins, but largely I seem to have just ceased to exist to most of them.

Guess I fit the new statistic.

Re: Tokyo's suburban housing became vast ghettoes for the old

#44

Post by greglindahl »

zem wrote: post #37
pas wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They hate it because it became a one stop shop solution for everything. (Especially the mental illness problems are troubling without any of the very much needed therapy, continuous follow ups, visits from a social worker, etc.)

that would be a bit more believable were it not for the people who make sure that the "poor apartments" in a building have a separate entrance.

While that makes a great headline, how common is it?

Re: Tokyo's suburban housing became vast ghettoes for the old

#45

Post by sjg007 »

gyc wrote: post #31
ilamont wrote: post #9

Several of the examples in the article hinted at familial estrangement, which makes things much worse. I lived in Taiwan, which also has a stagnant birth rate (only 181,606 births last year, https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/3611847 ) and a decades-long trend for young people to migrate to the large cities, or go to China to try their fortunes there. But there is also a strong tradition of multi-generational hous…

> Several of the examples in the article hinted at familial estrangement, which makes things much worse. Yes as somebody from a Taiwanese family that also really stuck out from the article. The daughter in Tokyo only seeing the father once a year? Seems like there are deeper problems there.

Lol.. I see my mom like once every 3 years and my Dad maybe once year. This is in America. With work and kids and living in different states and countries it financially impossible to get everyone together. I hardly saw my grandparents too so it’s not abnormal necessarily.

Re: Tokyo's suburban housing became vast ghettoes for the old

#46

Post by sjg007 »

Tsubasachan wrote: post #21

Its funny the US is saved from all this by the immigrants it hates. The rest of us have 20 years to invent robots that can replace workers... At least people have saved for their retirement here so its not going to destroy the budget.

Saved for retirement?? Not most Americans.

Re: Tokyo's suburban housing became vast ghettoes for the old

#47

Post by zem »

FreedomToCreate wrote: post #26
01100011 wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Your comment made me think of how astonished I was at the numbers of elderly in the South Bay when I relocated here. You'd think those folks would have cashed out and moved to a tax friendly state with better weather, but for some reason they've stayed put.

They have stayed put because there is no where with better weather

also a lot of cheaper and more "tax friendly" places tend to be red states.

Re: Tokyo's suburban housing became vast ghettoes for the old

#48

Post by dougmwne »

01100011 wrote: post #25
npunt wrote: post #13

In everything from technology to culture to aging, Japan seems to be a portent for things yet to happen in the west. We tend to view suburbs as these static places that serve a particular purpose for primarily families and where nothing changes. But in fact suburbs are starting to transform into de facto retirement communities as boomers exit the workforce, due in large part to incentives from certain laws that keep…

Your comment made me think of how astonished I was at the numbers of elderly in the South Bay when I relocated here. You'd think those folks would have cashed out and moved to a tax friendly state with better weather, but for some reason they've stayed put.

I think the simplest explanation is that once people have put down decades worth of roots in a place, most would prefer to stay, no matter how many millions their house would sell for. I think for most people the upheaval of leaving all your friends, acquaintances, family, local culture, habits, patterns of living, and your very home behind far outweighs even a eye-opening property value. You'd need a damn good reason to leave, so unless you're forced, you'll stay.

Re: Tokyo's suburban housing became vast ghettoes for the old

#49

Post by 01100011 »

FreedomToCreate wrote: post #26
01100011 wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Your comment made me think of how astonished I was at the numbers of elderly in the South Bay when I relocated here. You'd think those folks would have cashed out and moved to a tax friendly state with better weather, but for some reason they've stayed put.

They have stayed put because there is no where with better weather

As someone over the hill, I can confirm that the older I get, the more heat feels good. There's a reason why Arizona is full of retirees. The cold, humid air in the bay area, especially during winter, is not good for an old body. Now obviously heat can kill the elderly, but if someone cashed out their bay area home and moved, they'd have more than enough money to buy a nice place and run the air conditioner whenever they like.

If nothing else, I'd figure they'd move to LA for even better weather and cheaper rent. That doesn't help with the tax situation, but it's something.

Maybe they're here for the family connections, but it seems less and less likely to be the case given the exodus of longtime residents from the area.

If they don't own a house, I can't see how they'd manage to stay. Renting around here on a fixed income must be brutal.

Re: Tokyo's suburban housing became vast ghettoes for the old

#50

Post by zem »

greglindahl wrote: post #44
zem wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

that would be a bit more believable were it not for the people who make sure that the "poor apartments" in a building have a separate entrance.

While that makes a great headline, how common is it?

enough to have its own wikipedia entry, at the least! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poor_door
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