Sidewalk camping ban

[ripvanwinkle]

I saw this today. Portland settled a lawsuit about ADA accessibility and sidewalk camping. Hope this sticks and is a model for other cities with this problem. I'll bet the ACLU will jump in on the side of the campers.

abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/portland-oregon-clear-sidewalk-tents-settle-suit-people-99614287

[djAdvocate]

clever idea.

[happyhoix]

What about figuring out how to provide enough affordable housing so people aren’t having to camp on the sidewalks?

I was reading a rant from a young adult on Reddit the other day, and they totally had a point. He was working at a factory where all the older people earned enough working at that factory 30 years ago that they could afford to buy a house. Now, while the starting pay has increased, it hasn’t increased enough to cover the cost of a mortgage. I know where my husband used to work, in state government, he earned about 50 K, and the admin workers earned about 34 K. We live in a LCOL area, but even around here, the median cost of a home is 300K. Using the old rule of thumb that you can afford 2x your annual income in for a home payment, they wouldn’t earn enough on their own to pay for anything more than a mobile home or old shit shack. Even the 500 square foot condos in the city where I work sell for 250 - 300K.

Builders only seem interested in making the high end, expensive housing developments. And rental costs are similarly unaffordable for the working poor, never mind those on disability or in retirement.

If we solved that, we’d also solve the problem of disabled people being unable to use the sidewalks. Both serious issues that no one seems interested in solving.

[Opti]

May 26, 2023 11:49:43 GMT -5 happyhoix said:

What about figuring out how to provide enough affordable housing so people aren’t having to camp on the sidewalks?

I was reading a rant from a young adult on Reddit the other day, and they totally had a point. He was working at a factory where all the older people earned enough working at that factory 30 years ago that they could afford to buy a house. Now, while the starting pay has increased, it hasn’t increased enough to cover the cost of a mortgage. I know where my husband used to work, in state government, he earned about 50 K, and the admin workers earned about 34 K. We live in a LCOL area, but even around here, the median cost of a home is 300K. Using the old rule of thumb that you can afford 2x your annual income in for a home payment, they wouldn’t earn enough on their own to pay for anything more than a mobile home or old shit shack. Even the 500 square foot condos in the city where I work sell for 250 - 300K.

Builders only seem interested in making the high end, expensive housing developments. And rental costs are similarly unaffordable for the working poor, never mind those on disability or in retirement.

If we solved that, we’d also solve the problem of disabled people being unable to use the sidewalks. Both serious issues that no one seems interested in solving.

What some people and the ranting Redditor forget, is there are more than a few of us north of 50 that take these jobs. Have the crap pay, do not have a paid off house. And if you aren't yet 65 for over there are some benfits you aren't entitled to yet. If you think it sucks doing it in your 20s. Trying doing that in your 50s and 60s with the 50+ plus old body not the twentysomething one.




In related news I walked through a possible suburban homeless hideaway for one. I wish people would acknowledge not everyone is ahread of you and there are Boomer and Silent generation peeps living far more challenging lives than the that whine on the Interwebs or make Tiktoks about their drama. I really want to answer this whiner 21 yr old about "Boomers" not understanding, i.e. really my parents don't get it so I'm smearing an entire generation ... but I digress.