mojitz t1_j1xnak4 wrote on December 28, 2022 at 3:50 AM

Reply to comment by headgasketidiot in Vermont lawmakers aim to make housing more available and affordable by dropkickninja

Too many people write off social housing. It doesn't even need to be a drain on public coffers, either. Just build something decent that appeals to a mix of income levels and charge enough to cover maintenance/upkeep and you get yourself a long way just by cutting out the profit share. Obviously that wouldn't cover the very bottom of the income spectrum, but it could be a pretty cheap way of making housing a lot more affordable for the the middle class and working poor — with huge knock-on effects for the broader economy.

No-Ganache7168 t1_j216ell wrote on December 28, 2022 at 10:27 PM

It worked when I was growing up because it wasn't free housing. It was housing for working people (most of them working very hard) and rents could cover maintenance. Based on articles I've read in BFP and Vt Digger, at least some non-working able-bodied people are living in subsidized housing. This doesn't help promote anything but laziness. Build homes specifically for working middle and low income Vermonters.

Tension-Cautious t1_j1ypgcg wrote on December 28, 2022 at 11:20 AM

Well then why don't you do that?

mojitz t1_j1z99pz wrote on December 28, 2022 at 2:41 PM

I think you responded with something cute because you don't actually have an argument against this, but feel some sort of reflexive need to oppose any attempt to use the power of government for good.

HarrisonFordsBlade t1_j1yvwlc wrote on December 28, 2022 at 12:39 PM

Every time the lottery jackpot gets really huge I buy a ticket. And then I fantasize about what I'll do with the money. At this point the plans are fairly elaborate. But the basics of it is that I will create rent-to-own communities with rent commensurate with people's income so that as many people as possible have the opportunity to own their own home.

cpujockey t1_j1z1c0d wrote on December 28, 2022 at 1:34 PM

> rent-to-own communities

people will take offense to that. urban sprawl, property ownership, those are things a lot of folks deem satanic.

HarrisonFordsBlade t1_j1z1ors wrote on December 28, 2022 at 1:37 PM

Probably, but if I've just won a $500 million lottery I can afford to calm a lot of people down. ;)

halfbakedblake t1_j1z2lxn wrote on December 28, 2022 at 1:46 PM

I like this.

cpujockey t1_j1z2pn6 wrote on December 28, 2022 at 1:47 PM

that would be pretty groovy.

careful though: taxes will eat you alive, not just with property taxes, but on those sick gainz too.

I'm still shocked about how the vermont subreddit views single family homes and all. folks keep advocating for these huge apartment buildings thinking we have the infrastructure to handle a huge people box and yet the buses don't even run on time. Additionally, single family homes open the opportunity for ownership in more than just owning a POS - you have room to do shit and privacy that comes with that. I know if I was living in an apartment building I'd be evicted for making guitars and all other craft projects I do. No one wants to be smelling my lacquer, nor do they want to hear my power tools at 2 am when creativity strikes.