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A/C is more of a need in DC. Maybe that's the difference between there and NYC. Heck, when I lived in Champaign, IL, even the housing projects had window ACs. It's hot and humid there, similar to DC.
Not sure what difference you're referring to.
There's more people without A/C in NYC than DC, but the majority (has to be at least 80% have A/C). Housing stock is old, all but the newest don't have A/C; and the majority (maybe 2/3rds) rent. So the majority of rentals have window A/C. Survey by US energy survey has 27% of New Yorkers without A/C but that's the whole state; I'd guess no A/C is much more common upstate.
^^I'm referring to it being hotter in DC and maybe more humid as well.
NYC: "Over the course of a year, the temperature typically varies from 24°F to 82°F and is rarely below 10°F or above 90°F. " Average high/low July 25 (apparently the hottest day) 82/67
DC: "Over the course of a year, the temperature typically varies from 29°F to 88°F and is rarely below 17°F or above 96°F. " Average high/low July 14 (ditto): 88/72
Source: https://weatherspark.com/averages/30...-United-States
Those few degrees of difference don't sound like much, but really even Mary Lincoln, coming from Springfield IL which is no slouch in the hot humid department (very swampy there as well), thought DC was a H*ll-hole.
The projects in Champaign came equipped with the room ACs,and this was back in the 70s.
You can certainly build housing for the poor that meets code in an urban area. You just go high rise with very low square footage in the units. There is no basic human right that requires 4,000 square feet for a family of 4. The problem is keeping that building from becoming the Bronx since you've just socioeconomically segregated those people.
New York waived it's 400 sq. ft. housing unit requirement to test run a 9-story, 55-unit micro-apartment complex. The 260-360 sq. ft. units rent from $950-$1450 for people with modest means, $2300-$3500 for market rates, and 9 homeless vets will be covered by federal housing vouchers.
It's a barely perceptible dent in housing for thousands of homeless people in NYC, but I think it's a step in the right direction. The apartments are tiny, but well-designed, with real kitchens and bathrooms.
New York waived it's 400 sq. ft. housing unit requirement to test run a 9-story, 55-unit micro-apartment complex. The 260-360 sq. ft. units rent from $950-$1450 for people with modest means, $2300-$3500 for market rates, and 9 homeless vets will be covered by federal housing vouchers.
It's a barely perceptible dent in housing for thousands of homeless people in NYC, but I think it's a step in the right direction. The apartments are tiny, but well-designed, with real kitchens and bathrooms.
How is it a step in the right direction?
The price is being driven by location; it makes much more sense to stop with the mentality that everyone deserves to live in an expensive area.
I can rent a one bedroom, 750sqft apartment in E. TN for $500 a month in a pretty nice area. So why in the hell are people so hell bent on making sure poor people can live in absurdly expensive areas? A person could move to E. TN and pick up a job at Walmart starting at $8.25/hr and go rent a decent place for around $350 a month. Instead, we have a mentality of "we must have them live in one of the most expensive places in the US" and waste money.
How many jobs are available at Walmart in East TN? There are Thousands of people in high cost metro areas below the poverty line. How do we get them to move to TN? They have to want to move there. In general people are moving away from low cost places like E TN to the major cities. That is one reason the cities are the way they are.
When you set a minimum standard, you set a minimum price (more precisely you set a minimum price higher than there would be without the standard). This means people who were already paying for the minimum housing will need to pay more or get less housing. When your standard also sets a limit to how little housing someone can get (minimum square foot requirements), this means more people will be priced out, period. Idealists always proposing increased standards either don't like to consider these cold economic facts, or assume the subsidy fairy (that is, those of us paying taxes) will take care of it.
All you people who support strong codes need to address the above.
Right....rather than the rich actually lowering their profit margins on this type of property they are generously lowering the standards so they can be kind benefactors of the poor and at least offer them SOMETHING...while making the same profit. That's definitely a win-win!
I support substandard housing precisely because I do not expect the rich to lower their profit margins; therefore the only feasible solution is to allow the rich to maintain their profit margins through greater density and lower quality.
Strong code supporters appear to offer no solution that is not regressive as heck.
How many jobs are available at Walmart in East TN? There are Thousands of people in high cost metro areas below the poverty line. How do we get them to move to TN? They have to want to move there. In general people are moving away from low cost places like E TN to the major cities. That is one reason the cities are the way they are.
I do not know how many, I am not looking for work. Last time I looked they would start people off at $10/hr for overnight stocking, they were looking for people.
They move to TN the same way numerous people have moved about the planet for the last few thousand years.
The reason people are moving to cities is because of stuff like this, in that cities are going out of their way to accommodate low income people, even creating affordable housing in rather expensive areas. Instead of letting the market forces work, cities are intervening, using tax dollars to do so.
The basics is; a person lives where they can afford. It is a simple concept. If no low wage workers can afford to live in an area, wages will rise to attract these workers. As of now, tax dollars are yet again subsidizing housing on one end, and businesses on the other.
Quote:
Originally Posted by freemkt
I support substandard housing precisely because I do not expect the rich to lower their profit margins; therefore the only feasible solution is to allow the rich to maintain their profit margins through greater density and lower quality.
Strong code supporters appear to offer no solution that is not regressive as heck.
Again, codes play a very small part in house prices. Location is the primary factor in house prices. This is why someone posted about those wonderful micro apartments going for $1000/mth, when you can rent a two bedroom, 1150sqft luxury unit in Knoxville, TN for $950/mth.
It is the location driving the prices, not the codes, I have no idea why you and others are so fixated on this code thing. The price driver is location, location, location.
I support substandard housing precisely because I do not expect the rich to lower their profit margins; therefore the only feasible solution is to allow the rich to maintain their profit margins through greater density and lower quality.
Strong code supporters appear to offer no solution that is not regressive as heck.
Err... not quite. The landlord will not maintain his profit margin. It would increase. The more units you put into an particular amount of space as well as the more people(who are paying rent) the greater the possible profit margin. Greater density does not equal lower prices in the long run and lower quality would drive us back to the days when cities were filled with tenements.
Again, codes play a very small part in house prices. Location is the primary factor in house prices. This is why someone posted about those wonderful micro apartments going for $1000/mth, when you can rent a two bedroom, 1150sqft luxury unit in Knoxville, TN for $950/mth.
It is the location driving the prices, not the codes, I have no idea why you and others are so fixated on this code thing. The price driver is location, location, location.
Yeap. In Chicago you could rent an house for $1000 a mouth or an smaller apartment for as much. It all depends on location more than anything else. Areas near employment(esp. office work as factories can be a turn off), areas near natural beauty, near public transit to areas of employment or with good schools can drive prices up as well as near lots of bars, restaurants and nightlife(which is what cities do best).
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