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I will do anything to end homelessness except build more homes (2018)

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Re: I will do anything to end homelessness except build more homes (2018)

#51

Post by _petronius »

maxweylandt wrote: post #26
comrade1234 wrote: post #19

I live in Zurich - the tightest rental market in the world (.7% availability) but don't really have a homeless problem for some reason. I have met a lot of people that have had to move to neighboring cities though.

How is public transport to nearby commuter towns? If it's affordable/convenient/reasonably quick that can help a lot, I suspect. (But am quite ignorant so appreciate correction!)

Switzerland has the best rail system in the world (IMHO). One app can manage ticketing across all public transit in the entire country, and it is extremely fast and reliable. Lots of people who work in Zürich, for example, commute in from Zug (due to lower taxes in the neighboring canton).

Re: I will do anything to end homelessness except build more homes (2018)

#52

Post by throwaway290 »

JodieBenitez wrote: post #36

I know next to nothing about the US but France has 3 million unoccupied housings. https://www.insee.fr/fr/statistiques/7727384

How did that happen? People buy houses and then not live there like Canada? Or there is not enough people? Can I move to france and live for free pls

Re: I will do anything to end homelessness except build more homes (2018)

#53

Post by smcin »

yunohn wrote: post #7

> I’m the kind of person who contributes to society by starting companies that leverage technology to build smart tea kettles that brew themselves while you sleep at night. I’m a fucking innovator. Is there a reason that the press is always making scapegoats out of tech nerds? The vast majority of people are not employed in tech, and are part of the same society and have very similar self interests. Truly tired of ev…

McSweeney's seems to spread the criticism around fairly, not just scapegoating tech:

https://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/minutes-from-the-latest-...

https://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/welcome-to-westillwork-t...

Re: I will do anything to end homelessness except build more homes (2018)

#54

Post by foul »

vintermann wrote: post #20

Is lack of enough homes the main reason for homelessness?

When you examine an island of critical business development with desperate need for workforce yes, otherwise you will mostly find rent and prices that compromise life conditions. Basic needs aren't a market you can easily disrupt (unless you plan to let a class of slaves or poors be created).

Re: I will do anything to end homelessness except build more homes (2018)

#55

Post by fakedang »

comrade1234 wrote: post #19

I live in Zurich - the tightest rental market in the world (.7% availability) but don't really have a homeless problem for some reason. I have met a lot of people that have had to move to neighboring cities though.

Switzerland ships the homeless by bus to other European capitals for free.

https://www.joe.co.uk/news/swiss-city-offers-beggars-one-way...

Re: I will do anything to end homelessness except build more homes (2018)

#56

Post by lmm »

Ccecil wrote: post #8

From what I have seen there isn't a housing shortage as much as an "affordable housing" shortage. Just my observation. Tons of overpriced apartments being built at 2x the price of the average renter. Housing subsidies will be next. Another attempt to prop up the rampant capitalism by means of socialism.

> From what I have seen there isn't a housing shortage as much as an "affordable housing" shortage.

It's generally much more illegal to build cheap housing, both in the direct sense that building codes require all new housing to be built to extremely high standards, and the indirect sense that in places without by-right development (which is most desirable cities sadly) your neighbours are going to fight a lot more against cheap houses getting built than they'll fight against expensive houses getting built.

> Housing subsidies will be next. Another attempt to prop up the rampant capitalism by means of socialism.

Already been happening for years.

Re: I will do anything to end homelessness except build more homes (2018)

#57

Post by mola »

Sry lack of new houses doesn't seem like a cause for homelessness.

Of you can't afford a house in the big city, you move to a smaller one.

The problem is lack of a working welfare infrastructure. People become homeless because they're unlucky and once they're down, it's almost impossible to get back up.. it's a failure of state at so many levels. Real estate development is the least of them

Re: I will do anything to end homelessness except build more homes (2018)

#58

Post by detourdog »

energy123 wrote: post #43
_dark_matter_ wrote: post #6

This isn't everywhere. I live in Nashville and we have SO MUCH housing being built. Just apartment building after apartment building after apartment building.

It is a big problem in Democratic states like California, where the leftists (Dean Preston and other leftist NIMBYs) have allied themselves with homeowner liberals to make it impossible to build housing. Republican states like Texas do a significantly better job, as you can see by looking at annual per capita new housing, and lower rental inflation. There's a growing liberal movement to change this status quo but the…

North Adams Massachusetts has plenty of empty housing. There is a lot of vacant housing in Western Massachusetts.

Re: I will do anything to end homelessness except build more homes (2018)

#59

Post by gadders »

scandox wrote: post #30
comrade1234 wrote: post #19

I live in Zurich - the tightest rental market in the world (.7% availability) but don't really have a homeless problem for some reason. I have met a lot of people that have had to move to neighboring cities though.

In Dublin on 1st of February 2025 there were 1200 properties available to rent in a city of 1.5 million.

I wonder what could have happened in Dublin to use up loads of the available housing? Does anyone know?
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