▲ 145 ▼ A record number of Americans can’t afford their rent. Lawmakers are scrambling to help (apnews.com) submitted 2 years ago by kingshrubb@lemmy.world to c/news@lemmy.world 30 comments fedilink hide all child comments
[–] FartsWithAnAccent@lemmy.world 96 points 2 years ago (3 children) lawmakers are scrambling to help Sure they are. permalink fedilink source hideshow 6 child comments replies: [–] metaStatic@kbin.social 18 points 2 years ago Can't have landlords taking a haircut on rent. Who did you think they where helping? permalink fedilink source parent [–] NateNate60@lemmy.world 13 points 2 years ago (1 child) What doesn't work (but inevitably will be tried): Asking nicely (lol) Subsidising rent (landlords will raise rents to compensate for subsidy) Rent caps and rent control (artificial price ceiling creates shortfall in market, leaving people still without adequate housing or on long waiting lists, or landlords will find bullshit reasons to evict tenants and raise rents) What does work: Building more fucking housing permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] stown@sedd.it 3 points 2 years ago* (2 children) The problem with point 4 is that no developers are going to undertake it unless they can make a significant profit. If the addition of new housing has the potential to lower the ROI where is the insentive to build? If the government decides that they will be the developer/investor then the whole project is definitely going to lose money because contractors will ALWAYS milk a government project. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 4 child comments replies: [–] afraid_of_zombies@lemmy.world 5 points 2 years ago (1 child) The problem with point 4 is that no developers are going to undertake it unless they can make a significant profit. If the addition of new housing has the potential to lower the ROI where is the insentive to build? Your assumption is that all builders have infinite flexibility and are exactly the same. The real world companies can't just adjust their staffing and capital equipment based on last hour revenue. There is always someone will to cut into their margins to get a contract. Imagine you are running one of those companies. You normally make 100k on this type of job, the market is willing to pay 90k. Do you walk or not? If you walk you still have to make payroll this week. Wouldn't it be better to not make as much money as you want but still make money vs not making any money? Capitalism is a far far from perfect system, but it really exceeds at racing to the bottom. Someone somewhere is willing to do x for less. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] stown@sedd.it 2 points 2 years ago (1 child) The race to the bottom will work great in underregulated labor markets or anywhere regulations on environmental and safety standards are relaxed. The issue (no problem, because I believe there should be tough regulation) is that there is now a baseline that you can't really go under unless you cut corners somehow. I've been working in construction in the SF Bay Area for over 15 years. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] afraid_of_zombies@lemmy.world 3 points 2 years ago Right so you can't think of literally anyway you can follow the rules and make more money? I find that surprising given that I have listed one method in my previous comment and my infrastructure employer is constantly finding tricks to bring the costs down permalink fedilink source parent [–] NateNate60@lemmy.world 2 points 2 years ago Public housing is not about profit. It's about giving people affordable shelter. permalink fedilink source parent [–] mp3@lemmy.ca 6 points 2 years ago In the same way as someone at work caught picking their nose for the entire duration of the project with a deadline due for last week. permalink fedilink source parent
[–] metaStatic@kbin.social 18 points 2 years ago Can't have landlords taking a haircut on rent. Who did you think they where helping? permalink fedilink source parent
[–] NateNate60@lemmy.world 13 points 2 years ago (1 child) What doesn't work (but inevitably will be tried): Asking nicely (lol) Subsidising rent (landlords will raise rents to compensate for subsidy) Rent caps and rent control (artificial price ceiling creates shortfall in market, leaving people still without adequate housing or on long waiting lists, or landlords will find bullshit reasons to evict tenants and raise rents) What does work: Building more fucking housing permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] stown@sedd.it 3 points 2 years ago* (2 children) The problem with point 4 is that no developers are going to undertake it unless they can make a significant profit. If the addition of new housing has the potential to lower the ROI where is the insentive to build? If the government decides that they will be the developer/investor then the whole project is definitely going to lose money because contractors will ALWAYS milk a government project. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 4 child comments replies: [–] afraid_of_zombies@lemmy.world 5 points 2 years ago (1 child) The problem with point 4 is that no developers are going to undertake it unless they can make a significant profit. If the addition of new housing has the potential to lower the ROI where is the insentive to build? Your assumption is that all builders have infinite flexibility and are exactly the same. The real world companies can't just adjust their staffing and capital equipment based on last hour revenue. There is always someone will to cut into their margins to get a contract. Imagine you are running one of those companies. You normally make 100k on this type of job, the market is willing to pay 90k. Do you walk or not? If you walk you still have to make payroll this week. Wouldn't it be better to not make as much money as you want but still make money vs not making any money? Capitalism is a far far from perfect system, but it really exceeds at racing to the bottom. Someone somewhere is willing to do x for less. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] stown@sedd.it 2 points 2 years ago (1 child) The race to the bottom will work great in underregulated labor markets or anywhere regulations on environmental and safety standards are relaxed. The issue (no problem, because I believe there should be tough regulation) is that there is now a baseline that you can't really go under unless you cut corners somehow. I've been working in construction in the SF Bay Area for over 15 years. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] afraid_of_zombies@lemmy.world 3 points 2 years ago Right so you can't think of literally anyway you can follow the rules and make more money? I find that surprising given that I have listed one method in my previous comment and my infrastructure employer is constantly finding tricks to bring the costs down permalink fedilink source parent [–] NateNate60@lemmy.world 2 points 2 years ago Public housing is not about profit. It's about giving people affordable shelter. permalink fedilink source parent
[–] stown@sedd.it 3 points 2 years ago* (2 children) The problem with point 4 is that no developers are going to undertake it unless they can make a significant profit. If the addition of new housing has the potential to lower the ROI where is the insentive to build? If the government decides that they will be the developer/investor then the whole project is definitely going to lose money because contractors will ALWAYS milk a government project. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 4 child comments replies: [–] afraid_of_zombies@lemmy.world 5 points 2 years ago (1 child) The problem with point 4 is that no developers are going to undertake it unless they can make a significant profit. If the addition of new housing has the potential to lower the ROI where is the insentive to build? Your assumption is that all builders have infinite flexibility and are exactly the same. The real world companies can't just adjust their staffing and capital equipment based on last hour revenue. There is always someone will to cut into their margins to get a contract. Imagine you are running one of those companies. You normally make 100k on this type of job, the market is willing to pay 90k. Do you walk or not? If you walk you still have to make payroll this week. Wouldn't it be better to not make as much money as you want but still make money vs not making any money? Capitalism is a far far from perfect system, but it really exceeds at racing to the bottom. Someone somewhere is willing to do x for less. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] stown@sedd.it 2 points 2 years ago (1 child) The race to the bottom will work great in underregulated labor markets or anywhere regulations on environmental and safety standards are relaxed. The issue (no problem, because I believe there should be tough regulation) is that there is now a baseline that you can't really go under unless you cut corners somehow. I've been working in construction in the SF Bay Area for over 15 years. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] afraid_of_zombies@lemmy.world 3 points 2 years ago Right so you can't think of literally anyway you can follow the rules and make more money? I find that surprising given that I have listed one method in my previous comment and my infrastructure employer is constantly finding tricks to bring the costs down permalink fedilink source parent [–] NateNate60@lemmy.world 2 points 2 years ago Public housing is not about profit. It's about giving people affordable shelter. permalink fedilink source parent
[–] afraid_of_zombies@lemmy.world 5 points 2 years ago (1 child) The problem with point 4 is that no developers are going to undertake it unless they can make a significant profit. If the addition of new housing has the potential to lower the ROI where is the insentive to build? Your assumption is that all builders have infinite flexibility and are exactly the same. The real world companies can't just adjust their staffing and capital equipment based on last hour revenue. There is always someone will to cut into their margins to get a contract. Imagine you are running one of those companies. You normally make 100k on this type of job, the market is willing to pay 90k. Do you walk or not? If you walk you still have to make payroll this week. Wouldn't it be better to not make as much money as you want but still make money vs not making any money? Capitalism is a far far from perfect system, but it really exceeds at racing to the bottom. Someone somewhere is willing to do x for less. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] stown@sedd.it 2 points 2 years ago (1 child) The race to the bottom will work great in underregulated labor markets or anywhere regulations on environmental and safety standards are relaxed. The issue (no problem, because I believe there should be tough regulation) is that there is now a baseline that you can't really go under unless you cut corners somehow. I've been working in construction in the SF Bay Area for over 15 years. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] afraid_of_zombies@lemmy.world 3 points 2 years ago Right so you can't think of literally anyway you can follow the rules and make more money? I find that surprising given that I have listed one method in my previous comment and my infrastructure employer is constantly finding tricks to bring the costs down permalink fedilink source parent
[–] stown@sedd.it 2 points 2 years ago (1 child) The race to the bottom will work great in underregulated labor markets or anywhere regulations on environmental and safety standards are relaxed. The issue (no problem, because I believe there should be tough regulation) is that there is now a baseline that you can't really go under unless you cut corners somehow. I've been working in construction in the SF Bay Area for over 15 years. permalink fedilink source parent hideshow 2 child comments replies: [–] afraid_of_zombies@lemmy.world 3 points 2 years ago Right so you can't think of literally anyway you can follow the rules and make more money? I find that surprising given that I have listed one method in my previous comment and my infrastructure employer is constantly finding tricks to bring the costs down permalink fedilink source parent
[–] afraid_of_zombies@lemmy.world 3 points 2 years ago Right so you can't think of literally anyway you can follow the rules and make more money? I find that surprising given that I have listed one method in my previous comment and my infrastructure employer is constantly finding tricks to bring the costs down permalink fedilink source parent
[–] NateNate60@lemmy.world 2 points 2 years ago Public housing is not about profit. It's about giving people affordable shelter. permalink fedilink source parent
[–] mp3@lemmy.ca 6 points 2 years ago In the same way as someone at work caught picking their nose for the entire duration of the project with a deadline due for last week. permalink fedilink source parent