"Fre Fire Zones"-the solution for housing?
I had to visit one of our less salubrious trailer parks in town last night. There were folks living in trailers smaller than SUVs back there.
Pretty sad, but once I got past my middle-class suburban biases, I had to ask the question: Isn't this better than homelessness? In what rational fiscal regime could the "government" (local, state, or federal) provide tidy middle class housing for all of the people served by substandard housing like this? And, would many of these "free spirits" want to submit to such government-provided and regulated apartments?
We make fun of Houston, but sometimes I wonder if everyone can AFFORD rigid zoning and planning laws.
Given that this country (and my state in particular) are addicted to cheap, third world labor, and given how wages for most working families are declining (and they will decline for the "creative class" as well-you can't compete with India and China, black turtleneck folks!)and given that building and planning regulations seem to become stricter (and more expensive) each year, isn't one solution to provide for "free fire zones" on the outskirts of towns-wherein regulations are limited to the absolute minimum public health and safety requirements?
This would mean a ring of favellas around many American cities-but that's better than five large families sharing a single 1200 square foot flat top rancher (or sleeping under culverts). People who want rigid planning regs can live in the wonderful planned gated communities also popping up-but they wouldn't necessarily have the right to quash any affordable housing zones nearby, like today's NIMBYism would permit.
So, any thoughts on my little rant?
I had to visit one of our less salubrious trailer parks in town last night. There were folks living in trailers smaller than SUVs back there.
Pretty sad, but once I got past my middle-class suburban biases, I had to ask the question: Isn't this better than homelessness? In what rational fiscal regime could the "government" (local, state, or federal) provide tidy middle class housing for all of the people served by substandard housing like this? And, would many of these "free spirits" want to submit to such government-provided and regulated apartments?
We make fun of Houston, but sometimes I wonder if everyone can AFFORD rigid zoning and planning laws.
Given that this country (and my state in particular) are addicted to cheap, third world labor, and given how wages for most working families are declining (and they will decline for the "creative class" as well-you can't compete with India and China, black turtleneck folks!)and given that building and planning regulations seem to become stricter (and more expensive) each year, isn't one solution to provide for "free fire zones" on the outskirts of towns-wherein regulations are limited to the absolute minimum public health and safety requirements?
This would mean a ring of favellas around many American cities-but that's better than five large families sharing a single 1200 square foot flat top rancher (or sleeping under culverts). People who want rigid planning regs can live in the wonderful planned gated communities also popping up-but they wouldn't necessarily have the right to quash any affordable housing zones nearby, like today's NIMBYism would permit.
So, any thoughts on my little rant?