Portland Homeless ?: Solutions Wanted... (real estate, 2014, for rent)

[StealthRabbit]

Beyond, but similar to Portland 2000. https://dignityvillage.org/

Austin: (Community First / NGO) 2020 (500+ homes when project is complete)
3D printed homes ($300 / month obligation to tenant) Sounds high, but probably reasonable, since there needs to be some level of 'buy-in' to sustain a community / order.


As noted on C-D "current events" , https://www.city-data.com/forum/curr...ted-house.html

https://mlf.org/community-first/

These 3D printed homes were designed with hurricane / quick rebuilding efforts in mind. Machine runs on a set of rails a block long, and can print a row of homes in less than a week. - extruded concrete, ladder style cross sections (Zig-zag fill pattern) Quite strong construction, unique designs.
https://www.iconbuild.com/

[oregonwoodsmoke]

If it works well for Austin, time will tell. If it works for them, then others might follow.

Most of the homeless I see don't look like they could come up with $300 a month for rent. I don't believe that the homeless are homeless because there is no cheap rent in the area.

[Metlakatla]

Maybe not in their current state, but many people actually had jobs and paid rent prior to becoming homeless; lack of affordable housing does play a part in the downward slide into the streets. It's just easier to weather temporary setbacks like job losses or major unexpected bills when housing costs aren't disproportional to income.

[mathlete]

Eliminate landlordism as a relic from the Middle Ages. Every dollar of "rent" goes towards buying from now on. No one can own more living space than they personally need, which would drive down the cost of housing to affordable levels due to ending speculation on real estate.

[texasdiver]

These are Ikea-built self-assembling shelters that are being used to house Somali refugees in Ethiopia. They are nicer than 99% of the ad-hoc homeless housing one sees around Portland, including some of the tiny houses and other more permanent camps that get put up in some of the official homeless campground sites. According to the article, they currently cost Ikea $7,000 each to build but they think with mass production they can get the price down to $1,000 per unit. According to the Guardian, these 88-square-foot shelters sleep five and come flat-packed with a solar panel, a USB outlet and a roof screen that reflects the sun’s rays while trapping heat overnight. https://www.theguardian.com/sustaina...dan-syria-iraq



This is refugee housing in Malta made from shipping containers that is used to house African refugees who crossed the Mediterranean from places like Libya and Chad



And these are pre-fab concrete refugee shelters built for Syrian refugees in Turkey



If there was creativity and a commonality of purpose this problem would easily be solved. Unfortunately Portland seems to lack both right now. So we have a locust plague of tent cities full of garbage instead. We are the richest country on the planet and the richest society that has ever existed on this planet. We can do better.

[ccjarider]

Originally Posted by mathlete

Eliminate landlordism as a relic from the Middle Ages. Every dollar of "rent" goes towards buying from now on. No one can own more living space than they personally need, which would drive down the cost of housing to affordable levels due to ending speculation on real estate.

Where do you get your ideas - the communist manifesto?
In your world - who is arbitrator of need?

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by ccjarider

Where do you get your ideas - the communist manifesto?
In your world - who is arbitrator of need?

The Communist's I'm aware of 'house-in-exchange' for party support, and a lifetime of service (at party discretion.). Those person's not in agreement disappear. Evidence is in the headlines today. Sad because I have known so many great, happy and dedicated from myanmar. All were working very hard to send money home to their parents, and return home themselves.

I would ask mathlete what is the appropriate cap on housing costs? Does everyone's home cap at 100 sq ft?
Is the wage restricted to keep housing costs low?
My first home at 642 sf and $16,000 was barely attainable with my $1.50 / hr pay rate. If I didn't have PT jobs, I and my housemates (disabled parents) would have been homeless (as we were before I was able to find and buy this home). It would be fine today, at $16,000, but that is 16x what my grandparents paid for thier home. (Still in fine condition).

I feel a comprehensive solution, including labor, accountability, community service would be sustainable, and allow a progression out of homelessness for those desiring and capable. One country I lived had their homeless trimming grass on the freeways and parks BY HAND in 90f temps. There is plenty of cleanup to be done in Portland public spaces. As well as repairs and new public projects similar to CCC / WPA. Plus food security and nutrition training and growing food for those in need of food and a job. I have seen the 'miracle' / husbandry (nurturing) of growing crops and animals transform some bitter and dangerous characters.

I'm sure the professionals in rehab and sociology could offer up many great solutions.
Turn our school kids loose on finding and implementing a solution that will bring a higher quality of life to their own future.

[texasdiver]

We don't need to restrict housing to solve the homeless crisis. A big part of why we are where we are is existing zoning restrictions that mandate expensive single family housing and make multi-family housing more expensive. We just need to be more creative about filling back in the growing gaps like restoring basic SRO hotels and that sort of thing. Portland used to have a lot more low-income housing like SRO hotels all over Old Town but it is mostly illegal to build the same things back today.

Across the river here in WA the city of Vancouver is buying up old motels and converting them into transitional housing. It works beautifully. Portland should be doing more of that. https://www.columbian.com/news/2021/...-for-homeless/

[ccjarider]

Originally Posted by texasdiver

We don't need to restrict housing to solve the homeless crisis. A big part of why we are where we are is existing zoning restrictions that mandate expensive single family housing and make multi-family housing more expensive. We just need to be more creative about filling back in the growing gaps like restoring basic SRO hotels and that sort of thing. Portland used to have a lot more low-income housing like SRO hotels all over Old Town but it is mostly illegal to build the same things back today.

Across the river here in WA the city of Vancouver is buying up old motels and converting them into transitional housing. It works beautifully. Portland should be doing more of that. https://www.columbian.com/news/2021/...-for-homeless/

You are correct in that you imply the free market is a good solution. People of limited means have historically had flop houses, boarding rooms, barns and even sheds to rent at a low cost. Now those solutions are more or less banned and/or limited by do-gooder Progressives city bureaucrats who articulate a belief that everyone "deserves" a level of quality when in reality, all they want is POWER.

The market is a great tool when allowed to work. Progressive Democrat cities destroy that tool because they cannot help but stick their nose in where it doesn't belong.

[texasdiver]

Originally Posted by ccjarider

You are correct in that you imply the free market is a good solution. People of limited means have historically had flop houses, boarding rooms, barns and even sheds to rent at a low cost. Now those solutions are more or less banned and/or limited by do-gooder Progressives city bureaucrats who articulate a belief that everyone "deserves" a level of quality when in reality, all they want is POWER.

The market is a great tool when allowed to work. Progressive Democrat cities destroy that tool because they cannot help but stick their nose in where it doesn't belong.

Dit que le mieux est l'ennemi du bien - Voltaire. (Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good).

We demanded only perfect housing for those who can't afford perfect, and we ended up with a sea of tent cities.