People can be so funny
Should I laugh or cry? In our town, We have a mandate to construct affordable housing. Affordable housing is defined as being affordable by the average salaried person in town. We have affordable housing. It's those little houses that you see developers buy and then tear down. The land is a good location. Maybe they can get two houses on the lot, or a double or an apartment building...I mean...condos...They sell each apartment separately, greedy bastard. So the developer tears down the little house that has worked just fine for over 40 years and puts up a McMansion . The house is so big, that there is little land around it. The house is so big that the poor neighbors have this big house shadow thrown over their house. It blocks the morning sun. The builder doesn't care. He gets the house built, sells it for a fortune and disappears.
And the buyer? They take out an "interest only" loan so they can play lord of the manor. The heat bills come in. It is so expensive, they turn their heat down to just above freezing. Their hope is the value of the house will rise so fast that they can turn the house over for a profit. They forgot closing costs. They forget they have no equity in the house. The increase in salary they expected, did not come through. Soon they learn they can't afford to keep the house. The house goes back on the market and the cycle repeats itself.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, the state government puts the screws to our town. Build affordable housing. More builders come. They propose to build a high density construct / development that totally ruins the neighborhood. They propose that a percent of the buildings will be affordable housing. Planning and Zoning turn the builder down. Builder comes back with another plan. He has the same plan as last time, only He knocked off a few houses. Planning and Zoning turn him down. Builder sues. Town loses every time. The high density parcel is built and the lovely neighborhood is destroyed , lost. Why can't We just leave the original small houses in place and call them affordable housing? We are losing our Colonial heritage to ugliness.
Should I laugh or cry? In our town, We have a mandate to construct affordable housing. Affordable housing is defined as being affordable by the average salaried person in town. We have affordable housing. It's those little houses that you see developers buy and then tear down. The land is a good location. Maybe they can get two houses on the lot, or a double or an apartment building...I mean...condos...They sell each apartment separately, greedy bastard. So the developer tears down the little house that has worked just fine for over 40 years and puts up a McMansion . The house is so big, that there is little land around it. The house is so big that the poor neighbors have this big house shadow thrown over their house. It blocks the morning sun. The builder doesn't care. He gets the house built, sells it for a fortune and disappears.
And the buyer? They take out an "interest only" loan so they can play lord of the manor. The heat bills come in. It is so expensive, they turn their heat down to just above freezing. Their hope is the value of the house will rise so fast that they can turn the house over for a profit. They forgot closing costs. They forget they have no equity in the house. The increase in salary they expected, did not come through. Soon they learn they can't afford to keep the house. The house goes back on the market and the cycle repeats itself.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, the state government puts the screws to our town. Build affordable housing. More builders come. They propose to build a high density construct / development that totally ruins the neighborhood. They propose that a percent of the buildings will be affordable housing. Planning and Zoning turn the builder down. Builder comes back with another plan. He has the same plan as last time, only He knocked off a few houses. Planning and Zoning turn him down. Builder sues. Town loses every time. The high density parcel is built and the lovely neighborhood is destroyed , lost. Why can't We just leave the original small houses in place and call them affordable housing? We are losing our Colonial heritage to ugliness.
posted by gardenbug at Saturday, October 29, 2005
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