High rent and Homelessness

Lewkat said:
I'd hate to describe what low-cost housing is done to by those homeless who finally are given a place to live.
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Lewkat, I just want to say I lived in a one bedroom apartment complex in Olympia Washington that took section 8. I only remember one apartment with kids in it and they didn't last. She yelled at those kids. I heard it because she was next to the laundry room.

It was seniors and working people like me who paid the full amount which was reasonable back then. They took 2 pets. There was even a young kindergarten teacher living there and she'd come home on her lunch break to take her dogs out. They were older apartments, but single level and cute. It was a decent place to live.
 

Myrtle said:
Going back to your original post what is your solution to the California problems that you posted?
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I'd say some rent control. These apartments I live in were owned by local investors. I think they owned at least one other complex in the area. Rent increases were minimal. I guess they decided to sell and take the money and run into retirement. Well the new predatory owners are raising every year to the max amount. I'm sure the previous owners made a decent profit. They owned the complex for years. I've talked to two neighbors who have lived here 20+ years.

Also the mobile home park increases are egregious. Maintenance is minimal on those places. What is some soul to do who bought their home years ago thinking it would be affordable and safe and the rents are going up by these predatory investors. Control is the only answer. It's not profit, it's greed.
 
Murrmurr said:
I'm a little more optimistic. Californians are fed up. Homeless activists erected their encampment as close to the Governor's Mansion as possible. They keep getting moved and then they move back. Police can't jail them for that, and none of them are going to pay the fine if they get ticketed.

Eventually, something's gonna give.
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Wow, and I sure hope something will give!
 

Myrtle said:
Going back to your original post what is your solution to the California problems that you posted?
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I've written and called my state reps about capping rents and creating/introducing laws requiring landlords to screen new renters only for evictions and failure-to-pay actions, and to charge an income-based rent of 25% which cannot exceed the cap.

Word's going around that large real estate corporations are buying up all kinds of rental properties and raising rents. I'm going to look into that and will probably be making more calls and writing more letters
 
It's been seemingly a month or more, but I read of someone building tiny houses for the homeless in Los Angeles, only to have them almost immediately torn down and hauled off by the city. Maybe they were on city or public property or something, I don't remember the details. Whatever it was, the city wouldn't give it up for the improvement of homeless lives. Can't put my finger on the news report now.

Some homeless are hopeless and some not. I was homeless in the very early 80's for three months. Lived in a tent by a lake and creek between Lafayette and New Iberia Louisiana. I pulled myself up by my bootstraps and turned my fortune around but I couldn't have done it there where I was. I had to move on and find a better place with more opportunity. If you sit and wallow in it, often all is lost.
 
Murrmurr said:
I've written and called my state reps about capping rents and creating/introducing laws requiring landlords to screen new renters only for evictions and failure-to-pay actions, and to charge an income-based rent of 25% which cannot exceed the cap.

Word's going around that large real estate corporations are buying up all kinds of rental properties and raising rents. I'm going to look into that and will probably be making more calls and writing more letters
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I know how to find the representatives but when writing, do you e mail or snail mail? And does someone actually answer the phone?
 
I used to do a lot more writing and calling than I do now. Where I am I have 2 representatives that are the only elected politicians I have who support the policies I believe in. I already know that they are going to do the right thing so I don’t always write anymore. I do email or call and say thank you for trying more often.

Murrmurr, I was hoping for some new ideas from you but you are right in what you said.

Remy, do me a favor and put “rent control doesn’t work” into your search engine and a lot of articles will come up. You can then pick your own source. Maybe that would make a good conversation.

When prices are going up for us they are going up for landlords too. Also there was no eviction of those that didn't pay during the pandemic. Those that do pay have been making up that difference. That’s certainly not the only reason rents rise but it is one factor. Another is the kickbacks the developers pay to the truly greedy politicians and the tax credits the politicians give to the developers. That's been a big issue here.

Remy we used to be told that snail mail was better but I don’t believe that anymore. Do whatever you can. I think they still keep a count of the contacts they get from all sources. Sometimes the phones are very busy and no one has time to sit on hold.

Naturally said:
I pulled myself up by my bootstraps and turned my fortune around but I couldn't have done it there where I was. I had to move on and find a better place with more opportunity. If you sit and wallow in it, often all is lost.
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That's the real solution and it's something a lot of people have done especially in their youth. I've got a son living in a state he didn't want to move to but he did it because he couldn't make a living where he was. Now, he's found out it's not as bad as he thought.
 
I won't feel sorry for those that chose to buy apartment complexes. If they were not making a nice profit, they wouldn't do it. My job is hard on me. I would not do it for free. Apartments have added water surcharges etc that were once part of your rent. They find a way to make plenty of money.

I did peruse one article that stated with rent control "developers" don't want to build. OK, people want jobs to build. How else can more affordable homes be built without the interest of developers? I'd bet there could be solution. Not saying I have it. But why must it always be built for this high profit? By developers.
 
Remy said:
Lewkat, I just want to say I lived in a one bedroom apartment complex in Olympia Washington that took section 8. I only remember one apartment with kids in it and they didn't last. She yelled at those kids. I heard it because she was next to the laundry room.

It was seniors and working people like me who paid the full amount which was reasonable back then. They took 2 pets. There was even a young kindergarten teacher living there and she'd come home on her lunch break to take her dogs out. They were older apartments, but single level and cute. It was a decent place to live.
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Remy, I was referring to the San Francisco and Minneapolis types, and failed to be clear about it. My bad. There are people in dire need of low cost housing and my town has managed to supply same. But, I have seen those who were living on the streets did the same to their apartments as those streets they defiled so.
 
Pepper said:
There is a NYCHA housing project here that hasn't had cooking gas since August and can't cook.......no heat either. The tenants were offered one hotplate and a $16. gift certificate to placate them. There is no word from the city on when this will be fixed, even with media interference. Someone, anyone, please find a way to blame this on the tenants. After all, don't the poor wreck everything?
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It's very sad what the poor have to put up with let alone everyone kicking them when they are down. Then when the poor complain about conditions they are often put out, lied to that a solution will happen or ostracized for having the "nerve" to want normal living conditions.

We have a TV station here in my area that goes to these unconscionable land lords and follows up till a solution is done and follows up again to make sure such tenants have been treated right and things in their apartment are brought up to code. Thank God for people who care!👍🤗
 
Murrmurr said:
Poor Americans are the "wealthiest" poor on the planet.

The gov't does indeed scratch the backs of successful corporations, but not successful individuals. I don't begrudge people the wealth they earn, and I don't blame them for the struggles of the poor. Blame for that rests solely with our gov't.

People do not lift themselves out of poverty by living off gov't funds, they do it through education or skills training and employment.

But even then the struggle doesn't end if rent on a simple little house is stupidly high.
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I agree with you completely! People have to want to change first . It’s not a financial problem but something much deeper.
 
Lewkat said:
Remy, I was referring to the San Francisco and Minneapolis types, and failed to be clear about it. My bad. There are people in dire need of low cost housing and my town has managed to supply same. But, I have seen those who were living on the streets did the same to their apartments as those streets they defiled so.
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Lewkat said:
Remind me you folks here, not to make comments on threads from here on out. Good night all..
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I kind of figured that was what you may have meant. And with the trash from encampments I think we have all seen on the news, I hear you. I think some of them get out and are grateful to be placed in housing. Some with trash everything and all no matter what. Due to mental illness or a just don't care mind set.

And I'll remind you to keep posting.
 
Murrmurr said:
Poor Americans are the "wealthiest" poor on the planet.

The gov't does indeed scratch the backs of successful corporations, but not successful individuals. I don't begrudge people the wealth they earn, and I don't blame them for the struggles of the poor. Blame for that rests solely with our gov't.

People do not lift themselves out of poverty by living off gov't funds, they do it through education or skills training and employment.

But even then the struggle doesn't end if rent on a simple little house is stupidly high.
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So well said!!!
 
Remy said:
I know how to find the representatives but when writing, do you e mail or snail mail? And does someone actually answer the phone?
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Some have a staff that take calls, most of them have phones that record your message, and I send actual letters via the post office. If it's about a major issue, I call and write repeatedly for several months or more.

Sometimes I don't hear back, usually I do....often it's a letter basically saying "I hear you; we're working on it." At election time, I vote against the ones I don't hear from at all unless they've done some significant good.

Also for major issues, I look for petitions online and if I find 'em, I sign 'em.
 
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Ruthanne said:
It's very sad what the poor have to put up with let alone everyone kicking them when they are down. Then when the poor complain about conditions they are often put out, lied to that a solution will happen or ostracized for having the "nerve" to want normal living conditions.

We have a TV station here in my area that goes to these unconscionable land lords and follows up till a solution is done and follows up again to make sure such tenants have been treated right and things in their apartment are brought up to code. Thank God for people who care!👍🤗
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There was a journalist who used to hound slum lords. I don't remember....Geraldo Rivera, maybe?

And there was a movie in the 70s about a slum lord who was forced by a New York judge to live in his own slum apartment building...that was his sentence. Joe Pesci played the slum lord.

But see my comment just below.
 
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PeppermintPatty said:
I agree with you completely! People have to want to change first . It’s not a financial problem but something much deeper.
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Kids should get to choose between wasting their time in a state school, or attending real job training plus life skills classes that teach everything from how to open a bank account to how to invest wisely. And a home economics class wouldn't hurt.
 
Our dear friend sold her rather ordinary home in Calif. for 900K, bought a new really big house in SC for 250K, and figures to live the rest of her life on the rest and SS. She getting older and why she wanted a 2 story home is beyond me, however she probably never lived in a two story before being born and raised in Calif and lived there until she was 70.
 
mrstime said:
Our dear friend sold her rather ordinary home in Calif. for 900K, bought a new really big house in SC for 250K, and figures to live the rest of her life on the rest and SS. She getting older and why she wanted a 2 story home is beyond me, however she probably never lived in a two story before being born and raised in Calif and lived there until she was 70.
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People from California are moving to Nevada and other states for the same reason and I can’t blame them. However, now Reno’s housing prices are higher than Sacramento and our general COL has skyrocketed.

This is forcing some of the locals to have to move out of state which is sad. If I didn’t own my condo I couldn’t afford to live here and rent.
 
hollydolly said:
nope. I think people who feel it's ok to attack posters for their views are the ones that need to step back from posting...not you..
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Holly, I made a general comment fraught with innuendo. So many took it personally, and I was stunned to think how many cannot read between the lines. Then, I must remember that I am dealing with a couple of generations younger than I, and everything has to be spelled out for them, lest one becomes offended. Growing a tad tired of it all.

No point in commenting if explicitness is all that necessary. I sometimes feel this forum is like a classroom where a teacher (commenter), must spell out each and every word in a sentence. Called parsing in my day.
 

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