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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)

#31

Post by smcin »

bradfa wrote: post #9
_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.

Is any of it affordable for the median household income in your area? If so, that’s great!

Depends if you find the following prices affordable, for TN salaries. Here's one blog I found [0]; seems Nashville has a slight glut at the high-end:

> Nashville home prices went up in May 2025, but not by much compared to last year.

> Average sale price $853.8K; median price stayed flat at $613K.

> But here's what's interesting: sellers had to drop their asking prices more than before. The average list price was $1.012 million, but homes actually sold for about $158K less than that...

> More Homes Available for Buyers: Active inventory jumped +29% compared to last year.

> Total inventory (including homes under contract) increased +16%

> Sales Activity Slowing Down -18%

[0]: https://www.nashvillesmls.com/blog/nashville-housing-market-...

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

#32

Post by willis936 »

pipes wrote: post #25
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.

I need to dig out the link, but there is a Study from Finland that shows this is incorrect: As housing stock quality improves, everyone upgrades. Which leaves room at the bottom level to get on the ladder into lower quality cheaper housing. Also supply and demand: if prices are increasing it is mostly because supply is not keeping up with demand. Lastly, like all other products in a market, we should see a general im…

I'd be interested in that study, because that doesn't match what I'm seeing on coastal US cities.

https://youtu.be/uuCuTThT_Tw

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

#33

Post by OtherShrezzing »

vintermann wrote: post #20

Is lack of enough homes the main reason for homelessness?

I think that's not necessarily the most important question. A more important one is "are more homes (dwellings) the easiest way to reduce homelessness?", and "do more dwellings reduce the number of rough sleepers?", to which the answer is "yes". During Covid lockdowns, the UK housed all street-homeless people at four days notice (other countries did this too). This was possible because of the sudden availability of hundreds of thousands of vacant hotel rooms.

For at least a little while, a massive influx of supply of dwellings entirely eliminated rough sleeping in the UK, mitigating the harshest impacts of homelessness for thousands.

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

#34

Post by joshvm »

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!)

Very good, generally. It's affordable by Swiss standards, which is to say expensive for tourists but remarkably good value if you're a resident on a median salary. The cost of the whole-country annual rail pass costs less than a point to point season ticket in the UK, and there is no peak travel. So you should never pay more than 3-4k a year. Most people just get a half price card (often employer subsidised) and/or a local pass which is generally better value unless you're commuting between cities.

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

#35

Post by nilirl »

Would this be considered creative non-fiction?

Do you remember that teacher in school who would sometimes lash out at a poorly performing student?

This made me feel like I was watching a frustrated lash out from someone who cares.

Captures the author's feelings; but fails as a piece of persuasion.

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

#38

Post by Raed667 »

gloxkiqcza wrote: post #23
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.

The issue is skewed supply and demand. If it’s profitable to buy housing as an investment, lower to middle class folk can’t compete with the upper class and businesses in the purchasing power, no matter how much housing gets build. I’m not sure whether there’s a good solution to this problem.

There is. Progressive taxation. Your first purchase is tax free. Second is a percentage and the more you accumulate the higher the percentage.

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

#39

Post by magicalhippo »

gloxkiqcza wrote: post #23
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.

The issue is skewed supply and demand. If it’s profitable to buy housing as an investment, lower to middle class folk can’t compete with the upper class and businesses in the purchasing power, no matter how much housing gets build. I’m not sure whether there’s a good solution to this problem.

Here in Norway they've tried to curb this somewhat by eliminating the wealth tax value discount you get on secondary homes. Your primary gets a 75% discount up to $1mill, then 30% on anything above $1mill, while secondaries count in full. So it's much less favorable to own multiple homes now as an investment.

Of course, most of those who did own extra homes as an investment rented them out as well, so rental prices here has gone through the roof as landlords and common folk with an extra apartment or two has sold the homes.

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

#40

Post by rvnx »

willis936 wrote: post #29
dzhiurgis wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

New housing doesn't have to be affordable for everyone. Median income goes towards old housing.

When more people are being priced out of a market than new housing units are added, then yeah they do need to be cheaper to make housing more available. The net result is more stratification, not less. Ask anyone how to make cheap housing though. No one has a convincing answer. I'm convinced that it's the right question.

Default on U.S. debt.

A U.S. default would spike interest rates, crash bond markets, trigger a credit freeze, and destroy consumer confidence. Mortgages would become unaffordable. Mass foreclosures and job losses would crush demand. Asset fire sales would follow. Housing prices would collapse.

This would also reshuffle assets, so speculators and highly leveraged people would be punished instead of being rewarded.

It will also cleanup the situation for future generations so kids won't have to be under extreme debt to pay back in some way to government, because the older people lived above their means.

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