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

mcsweeneys.net

81–90 of 452 posts

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

#81

How did homeless become homeless though? 1. They never had a home before so they kept living like that 2. They had a home before but then they couldn't afford it (or whatever other reason) I doubt we have a lot of case 1 (born without a home). For case 2, I doubt building more homes work, because if you are homeless, that not only means that you can't afford buying a home, but you cannot afford renting one as well, a…

There's probably almost 100 million Americans existing under rental stress. This prevents them from being able to save and invest. That means they have no insurance policy if they lose their job. If rent was lower, which it is in places that build more, then this is less likely to happen.

This is a fair point. And better protection regulations too so owners cannot hike rents as they so wish. We have it in Canada so not sure about the US, but I guess at least some states have some sort of protection.

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

#82
post #59
post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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?

Many such cases

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

#83

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…

There are no leftists in the US. The people you are refering to a liberals, who are defacto identical to conservatives

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

#84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There's probably almost 100 million Americans existing under rental stress. This prevents them from being able to save and invest. That means they have no insurance policy if they lose their job. If rent was lower, which it is in places that build more, then this is less likely to happen.

This is a fair point. And better protection regulations too so owners cannot hike rents as they so wish. We have it in Canada so not sure about the US, but I guess at least some states have some sort of protection.

Rent control doesn't work. The unintended negative side effects are too large.

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

#85
post #35

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.

It is humor. I don't watch south park to be persuaded for example.

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

#86

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...

I think that has more to do with the summer gypsies than an endemic homeless problem.

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

#87

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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…

There are no leftists in the US. The people you are refering to a liberals, who are defacto identical to conservatives

Dean Preston is a self-described socialist. A socialist is not a conservative.

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

#88
post #60

I don't think housing will help the people with mental health issues and addiction problems. Honestly I think sometimes building (compassionate, 21st century) mental health "asylums" and treatment centres would do more to end homelessness.

Kind of a pointless stance when trying to build that support infrastructure walks you into the same NIMBY-wall.

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

#89
post #59
post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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?

Airbnb, free migrant housing, rampant unvetted immigration and a tech industry that pays more in comparison to other industries.

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

#90
post #75
post #60

I don't think housing will help the people with mental health issues and addiction problems. Honestly I think sometimes building (compassionate, 21st century) mental health "asylums" and treatment centres would do more to end homelessness.

This is a scapegoat at best in areas with high homelessness. The mentally ill and drug abusers are the most visible part of the homeless population not all the homeless population. There are also complex relations to cause vs effect where mental illness may be at manageable levels until a crisis like homelessness exacerbates it or drug use may be a result of being homeless instead of a cause.

The mentally ill and drug abusers are also the ones who need to be dealt with in a way totally separate from those who are struggling but trying to get back on their feet and need a place to shower and sleep safely.

They cause disproportionate damage to cities and the cause of aiding homeless itself. It's asinine to conflate the two issues and waffle back and forth between "more houses" and nimby name-calling. Neither will help.

We should have 21st century asylums and more houses. I won't accept a false choice, we can do both. (I'd argue we also need subsidized job relocation programs so people don't get stuck in high CoL areas looking for minimum wage jobs. There are very affordable areas to live in USA that want workers, let's make this market more efficient).

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