Why am I only hearing about "affordable housing" in this housing crisis (San Francisco: low income, sales)

[fashionguy]

Are cities concerned at all for normal middle class people who can't "afford" to buy non-"affordable" housing AND couldn't qualify for "affordable housing"? If they are raising fees for building normal housing just to subsidize "affordable housing", wouldn't that make non-"affordable" housing even more unaffordable for the middle class? Where is the voice of the middle class?

[nagleepark]

If the government is helping both the poor and the middle class, that is obviously very, very expensive because that is a huge number of people. Also, if you help the poor up to get closer to middle class, it is counterproductive if you also help the middle class to raise themselves up even higher. Often, helping nearly everybody turns out to really help nearly nobody because prices are raised and negate the subsidy. For any subsidy scheme to work, you've got to find a large group of people who are denied the subsidy in order for the subsidy to have an effect.

[cardinal2007]

Originally Posted by fashionguy

Are cities concerned at all for normal middle class people who can't "afford" to buy non-"affordable" housing AND couldn't qualify for "affordable housing"? If they are raising fees for building normal housing just to subsidize "affordable housing", wouldn't that make non-"affordable" housing even more unaffordable for the middle class? Where is the voice of the middle class?

Funny thing is in the long run this will make landlords that are not seeking to build richer, since rents will settle at a higher level. Less competition is good for landlords. I'm not sure why the government should be making policy that affects the market in a way that favors one party over another, but I guess that is a lot of what politics is. They could make policies that fund affordable housing that doesn't have that effect, like a sales tax, or a parcel tax, but they decided not to go through that for a reason.

Developers and long term renters will probably hate this, but landlords will like it. Either way in the short run we are unlikely to see much effect, it will happen as time progresses and some developers sit on the sidelines for longer waiting for rents to rise more to make their projects pencil out.

[jbunniii]

High rents are driven by the job market. Every time there's a boom, the rents skyrocket, and when there's a bust, they come back down to earth. I should have kept my rent-controlled 2-br San Francisco apartment which I rented for $1450/month in 2005, a relatively quiet year. The landlord told me that the same apartment had rented for over $2k during the dot-com boom. If I still had it, I could probably sublet it (illegally of course) for $3k or more now. Five years from now, who knows, maybe it will be $1450 again.

[mysticaltyger]

Originally Posted by fashionguy

Are cities concerned at all for normal middle class people who can't "afford" to buy non-"affordable" housing AND couldn't qualify for "affordable housing"? If they are raising fees for building normal housing just to subsidize "affordable housing", wouldn't that make non-"affordable" housing even more unaffordable for the middle class? Where is the voice of the middle class?

Yes, I believe you're absolutely correct. Pundits like Joel Kotkin has been saying California has been screwing the middle class for decades, and he's right (and no, he's not a Republican).

California

[LuvSouthOC]

Affordable housing, AKA subsidized housing, is mainly pushed for in middle class areas. In the few upper-middle class areas where it is pushed, it is met with extreme resistance, and justifiably so. Most interesting, however, is that one never hears about large subsidized housing projects in truly exclusive areas. Hmmm, gee I wonder why that is.

Isn't there a need for the persons who work in those exclusive areas (housekeepers, nannies, gardeners and so on) to live in the immediate area where they reside? This is after all the same argument we hear made when it involves the middle class areas.

I'll support subsidized housing when it is forced on the ultra rich too. By this I do not mean a check for cash made by such persons, but instead, actual housing construction NEAR them for many persons, not just their employees.

[pacific2]

Both low- and middle-income people can receive affordable housing assistance in Irvine:

Affordable rental housing programs are available in Orange County, CA at 23 Irvine Apartment Communities in Irvine

HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT (HUD)
Maximum annual income to qualify is currently approximately $48,150 for a household of four.

VERY LOW INCOME (VL)
Maximum annual income currently ranges from $33,750 to $59,750,depending on household size.

LOW INCOME (L)
Maximum annual household income to qualify currently ranges from $53,950 to $95,550, depending on the applicable bond financing program and household size.

MEDIUM INCOME (M)
Moderate - Maximum annual household income, including income from all sources of income and assets, currently ranges from $71,652 to $115,155 depending on household size.

https://www.irvinecompanyapartments.com/locator-service/affordable-housing

Plus, UCI faculty and staff are eligible for subsidized housing. This is done at other universities, as well.

[pacific2]

Originally Posted by LuvSouthOC

Affordable housing, AKA subsidized housing, is mainly pushed for in middle class areas. In the few upper-middle class areas where it is pushed, it is met with extreme resistance, and justifiably so. Most interesting, however, is that one never hears about large subsidized housing projects in truly exclusive areas. Hmmm, gee I wonder why that is.

Isn't there a need for the persons who work in those exclusive areas (housekeepers, nannies, gardeners and so on) to live in the immediate area where they reside? This is after all the same argument we hear made when it involves the middle class areas.

I'll support subsidized housing when it is forced on the ultra rich too. By this I do not mean a check for cash made by such persons, but instead, actual housing construction NEAR them for many persons, not just their employees.

There is subsidized housing in Newport Beach:
City of Newport Beach : Housing

[LuvSouthOC]

Originally Posted by pacific2

There is subsidized housing in Newport Beach:
City of Newport Beach : Housing

All California cities have to allocate some units to the cause of subsidized housing lest they lose out on state funds. Newport Beach is no exception. But, as you can see in the case of Newport Beach, the units are almost all for seniors. LOL

Subsidized housing is a big fat farce.




Source: http://www.newportbeachca.gov/Pln/Ho...t_Adoption.pdf

[pacific2]

I think Laguna Beach has some affordable housing for low income non-seniors. Irvine really stretches the idea of who is in need of a subsidy to some very strange limits.

It makes you wonder what will happen to Irvine's housing market if those funds ever dry up?