CallMeHelicase t1_jc2i64q wrote on March 13, 2023 at 3:53 PM

Reply to comment by ice_cold_fahrenheit in Petition: Save the Locust Point Community Garden! by elephantsandrainbows

The housing put in would not be affordable, and we already have too many vacant houses in this city. There is NOT a housing shortage here, and I am surprised you don't understand that.

ice_cold_fahrenheit t1_jc2sw5i wrote on March 13, 2023 at 5:02 PM

Is there not? Looking at rents in Locust Point and Harbor East, it certainly seems like there’s one to me, even if it’s not as egregious as in other cities. After all it’s not like those particular places have vacant housing - it’s the blighted blocks people are moving out of that bring down the citywide average.

And even if there wasn’t a housing shortage per se, it would be good to build more housing anyways to bring prices even lower. And that can happen while the city gets rid of vacant housing at the same time.

rhymes_with_pail t1_jc3g72x wrote on March 13, 2023 at 7:32 PM

Any additional housing increases affordability.

CallMeHelicase t1_jc40y8s wrote on March 13, 2023 at 9:47 PM

Does it? There are so many houses for sale near me and they are all way more than I can afford. I would love for more houses to be available - I just want them to be rehabilitated vacant homes instead of wasting materials building overpriced townhomes that will fall apart in 10 years.

I personally want owners of vacant homes to be forced to sell them if they have been vacant for over two years. I worry that more home construction will lead to more homes that will just become vacant. I am sick of the fires and drug overdoses that happen in vacant homes. I think it is fair to request we fix the ones we already have before building more.

rhymes_with_pail t1_jc7gjis wrote on March 14, 2023 at 4:28 PM

Yes it does. The more homes where people want to live the lower the costs of individual homes will be. You are conflating two different issues in housing affordability and vacant housing. Why don't you buy a vacant and fix it up if that is so cheap? Because it is not cheap and they aren't in places people want to live. People aren't wasting materials building overpriced townhomes. They are using materials building townhomes at prices people will pay. When those people move out their old cheaper homes become available for people who can afford at that level. ALL new housing lowers average home pricing in an area. The only thing this petition protects is increasing home values in the Locust Point Neighborhood. Do you want homes to be more expensive?