Public Housing (Chicago, Franklin, Humboldt: low income, rent, houses)

[Avengerfire]

The CHA is considering time limits on residents.

I say about time.

Post your thoughts after reading the story. Other public housing comments and questions are welcome also.

CHA considers term limits on residents -- chicagotribune.com

[60-minutes-II]

Won't go through it seems like too many advocates want free housing to continue for their people.

[mel2000]

Chicago needs to get its safety net in order before placing even more housing restrictions on the indigent. Keep in mind that Illinois does not offer public assistance to childless people between 18 and 55 years of age. In addition, the city is looking the other way to the presence if illegal aliens, allowing them to sap jobs that the native poor would be taking, thereby leaving them with even fewer job prospects. Illegals are no longer consigned to picking fruit and vegetables, but are taking factory and other labor jobs. Then keep in mind that food and rent are making it harder for the low income to survive, period. Now is NOT the right time for such housing limitations.

[Drover]

It never will be "the right time" for housing limitations. It will involve immense pain for a lot of people no matter when it's implemented. But balanced against the long-term ramifications we've been dealing with by creating a multi-generational welfare entitlement class, which incidentally teaches men that their role as provider is not important -- the most socially disasterous product of public policy since state-sponsored segregation -- time limits on the housing gravy train is an idea that should at least be considered.

[Lookout Kid]

Originally Posted by mel2000

In addition, the city is looking the other way to the presence if illegal aliens, allowing them to sap jobs that the native poor would be taking, thereby leaving them with even fewer job prospects. Illegals are no longer consigned to picking fruit and vegetables, but are taking factory and other labor jobs. Then keep in mind that food and rent are making it harder for the low income to survive, period. Now is NOT the right time for such housing limitations.

Unemployment among African Americans hasn't gone up since the latest wave of illegal immigration. So you almost have to conclude that it's had little effect, and that African American unemployment would be high anyway if the illegals weren't here.

I agree with your other sentiment that public housing can't just be whisked away without a greater safety net for the poor. But I'd personally like to see the emphasis on job training and the economy. Instead of just handing people money, we need to restructure our economy so that people can have a decent life if they work for a living. It's ridiculous that CEOs get paid heaps of money even if they drive their companies into the ground, but working people get scraps and have to work multiple jobs with no health care to make ends meet. If that were my incentive to get a job as an unskilled uneducated laborer, I might opt to stay on the welfare rolls myself!

[Humboldt1]

My sentiments are that if you have a position that is vulnerable to having someone who cannot speak or read the native language take the job from you, perhaps you should be seeking training to avoid losing your job.

Many of the jobs being taken are low-level jobs that most Americans don't want to do. Certainly, outsourcing is a problem, but globalization of our economy is something that isn't going away. Protectionism and tariffs are in my opinion ultimately going to fail. Just look at what is going on with ethanol and sugar cane. We tax the hell out of sugar to allow our domestic growers to stay in business, thereby driving up our food costs. We also tax the hell out of ethanol which could be imported from Latin America to keep prices high for our corn producers (my father is one of these producers).

Illegals are coming in to take the low-skill jobs and that is that. By educating ourselves both in and outside of the classroom we can develop skills to make us less vulnerable to our jobs being outsourced or taken by illegals who are willing to work for less. Still, many will lose jobs, as being seen with IT outsourcing to India and other lower-cost areas. Globalization is here and there is no going back. All we can do is do our best to stay ahead of the curve.

I think time limits on CHA residents is great, provided they meet certain criteria. Obviously, we cannot be throwing people out into the streets who are not able to take care of themselves.

[aragx6]

Originally Posted by Humboldt1

perhaps you should be seeking training to avoid losing your job.

How and where and with what money? That's my question. Training programs are sorely lacking for the poor.

It's a cheesy statement but I'm a big fan of that "give a man a fish..." way of looking at things.

[Humboldt1]

Aragx6,

Nothing cheesy about "Give a man a fish and he eats one day. Teach a man to fish and he eats a lifetime."

And training doesn't have to come from the government. I learned to frame houses and do concrete while working manual labor in construction. I also learned to read blue prints and coordinate with subs on our various jobs. It wasn't a fancy job, but I did make supervisor with 5 guys reporting to me. No government programs helped me. I helped myself.

From Ben Franklin one of my favorites is "God helps those who help themselves."

If we stand around waiting for a handout we may be waiting awhile. Instead, we need to focus on how to improve ourselves. For every person it will be different. For some it will be night classes and others on the job training.

For my friend Laura from Guadalajara since 2000, it is Saturday morning English classes to improve her English so that she can get a better job and better take care of her 14 year old daughter who she raises by herself. She currently supervises a group of manual laborers who clean up commercial construction sites, but desires to do more. I greatly admire people such as her.

[aragx6]

Humboldt, no offense but you went to a top 20 university. You must admit that you've had opportunities that others who grew up in extreme poverty with few, if any, examples of good and proper behavior, didn't have.

[Humboldt1]

Aragx6,

I had scholarships to go to school. I also worked in construction and farming after college, not before.

The construction job I could have done with or without college, though it certainly made it easier. I also spent a year working on a neighbor' hog farm where I learned to drive semi trucks, certainly a useful skill that employers find valuable.

I did have good influences growing up which taught me the importance of education and hard work. We need to do a better job as a society creating good influences for those who are growing, particularly the impoverished in inner city Chicago and now Sex8 mini projects out in less affluent suburbs.