If you're willing to uproot your life and move so you can have 100 square feet to yourself, power to you. A 10 x 10 room is really not much to get excited about though. I can see some sense in providing single-family housing. It would likely lessen destructive effects of crime, drugs, vandalism and the like. Plus, it's a bit of a morale booster to have a home to yourself. But, it is still inefficient, especially at 50K. DC, you're right that 50K in construction is too much, even in San Francisco. Nothing is said about the land value. This is just construction of a very tiny house with the leverage of mass production.
Maybe if you run at them yelling "CASE CLOSED, I'M SMARTER THAN YOU!!" they'll just get annoyed with you and leave.
I'm not so sure they're devaluing the property. From a Dec. 2001 Houston Business Journal article: Soon to be put on the sales block, the Allen Park Inn tract will join a handful of older properties along the Allen Parkway corridor that are being sold for redevelopment. A three-acre parcel at Allen Parkway and Montrose Boulevard is being marketed by local land broker Stan Creech of Stan Creech Properties. The acreage includes the half-century-old Robinson Storage Warehouse. "We've had quite a bit of interest on the Allen Parkway site," says Creech. "The most immediate feedback has been residential and retail." An eight-acre parcel just south of Allen Parkway at the northwest corner of West Dallas and Montrose is also up for sale. The site is being listed by brokerage firm McDade, Smith, Gould, Johnston + Co. And Cushman & Wakefield of Texas Inc. is selling four acres of surplus land owned by the Federal Reserve Bank. Last year, the Fed purchased a 13-acre site on Allen Parkway near Taft that was once occupied by the old Jefferson Davis Hospital. In a few years, the bank will relocate from its downtown building to a new 300,000-square-foot structure planned for the site. The three tracts will likely fetch a premium. Similar properties in the area have recently traded at between $40 and $50 per square foot. Last year, The Finger Cos. purchased a four-acre site across from the bayou on Memorial Drive and Jackson Hill for $5.1 million. The Houston-based multifamily developer has begun work on a 316-unit apartment complex on the property. Simmons Vedder & Co. purchased the old Gulf Publishing building last year. The firm demolished the historic structure earlier this year and will begin pouring concrete for a new high-rise apartment tower in February. Simmons Vedder Development Partner Rick Craig envisions Allen Parkway as the next Turtle Creek -- an upscale residential community in Dallas. "I think Allen Parkway can be the premier residential street in Houston," Craig says. "I think it's the place people will want to live." Apparently, some people don't fear the homeless. Go figure.
Now that is actually funny. Mrs. JB -- A couple points: 1) That article is old -- the homeless camp is relatively new, it certainly hasn't been the size that it currently is since December of last year 2) Midtown is experiencing a very big problem right now with the homeless. It is the result of dropping an upscale community in the middle of a downtrodden area, and the result of being close to downtown. I moved out of a previous residence in midtown because of daily negative interactions with panhandlers. Many neighboring residents felt the same way. No one in the area questions the threat they pose to property values.
1. The article is 9 months old -- homeless people have been there A Lot longer than 9 months. I've lived in the area since 1990 and they've been here as long as I have. 2. I'm sorry if you've had negative interactions but there are clearly many people who don't share your fears. The inner loop (including the neartown/midtown areas) has been absolutely booming in the real estate market in the past five years. I don't think the presence of some homeless people is going to change that.
I grant you that homeless people have been there, but they haven't had the critical mass that they now enjoy. One or two is no big deal, but I'm telling you, there is now a camp of them. They have basically established permanent residence under that tree -- a tree that could otherwise be used for picnics by tax paying citizens who live in the area. Come on, that is just laughable. What homeowner or rentor *wants* homeless people in their area. What a complete joke. If you truly believe that, then you've completely missed the whole point of this thread, which is finding solutions for the homeless *problem*. No they don't pose a big enough threat for many people to leave, but yes they detract from the area.
I've NEVER seen anyone having a picnic on Allen Parkway. Mmmmmmm...exhaust fumes... Here's the fundamental difference as I see it: I don't want homeless people to exist ANYWHERE because I think all human beings deserve better than that. You, on the other hand, don't want homeless people in your neighborhood because it may bring your property value down. I'm trying really hard not to think of you as cold, but in the past two days you've suggested gr8-1 kill his cats the way your "friend" did and that homeless people annoy you so much that you're thinking of ways to frighten them off. You've got to give me something better to go on than that! I'm all for finding solutions to the homeless "problem." As long as those solutions don't involve simply shuttling them out of sight so we don't have to be bothered with their presence. As I'm sure you've read in the news today, the ranks of impoverished Americans is rising, so we'd better start coming up with something fast.
This is not a bad point. If we don't want to face poverty and mental health issues (the two both contribute majorly to the population of the homeless), then we'll see the presence of homeless people grow dramatically all around us. NYC seems to primarily have taken the "shuttling them out of sight" solution, as far as I can tell. Typically, people say living in a big city dampens your hamanity because you have to "deal with" beggars and in some cases just learn to ignore people who are in a bad bad way. But I've heard it argued the other way. By dealing with these situations day-in and day-out, you get to know your humanity much better than you would otherwise. You may not like what you see of your humanity (e.g. I can walk around town all day now, get asked for change 50 times here, and hand none out), but you've learned a lot about it.
A large % of the homeless in Texas are folks who used to be in various types of mental institutions. As part of "reform", they were released to fend for themselves. It also saved the state some major bucks. (what a coincidence) Some of these people have managed rather well, all things considered, but many have not. They are not all "wino's" or unfortunate families who have had a streak of bad luck. Texas has one of the lowest, if not the lowest, per capita expenditures on human services of any state in the country. The problem we're discussing is partly of our own making. We've elected these people... from both parties. The billion dollar tax cut G. W. Bush pushed through to help himself run for president has now put the state in a HUGE financial crisis. I'm not sure most Texans realize how bad it is. Things are going to be cut that are already cut to the bone. My wife works for the Legislature and I know of what I speak. She vents all the time. It's part of my job description. I didn't see any of the tax cut, but I'm sure someone or some companies must have. It WAS cut, after all. Sometimes cutting taxes sounds great and can be a huge mistake. In my opinion.
It is if its free. If I'm a single guy living in San Francisco and I have to choose between renting a 400 square foot apartment for $1500/month or living in a 100 square foot hobo hut for free, then I'll take the free accomodation any day. Just grab a shabby coat at the local goodwill and sign me up.
Wow. I had no idea the state budget was so bad in the home planet. Here in California, of course, it's a complete mess, and just about everything is going to get cut back, especially education. I've been hearing more and more about states' budgets being completely devastated. More by the economy and mismanagement than the federal tax cut, I had assumed. And I completely agree with the part about mentally ill people. It just tears me up to see this one guy who's always out near my work. He clearly needs real meds and is just trembling, barely functional, but he always wants change for a cup of coffee. The last thing he needs is caffeine, and the first thing he needs is proper care in some sort of (now unfunded) group home. Oh, and fadeaway, you can rent a studio for about $1000 here now, and I get your point about the 100-sq-foot place for free, but the city workers aren't complete chumps. If you've had an address during any recent time, they'll find it. You'd have to be pretty dedicated to the "faking it" idea.
Texas has a really serious problem with the homeless. I think the little houses are most likely impractical and I can imagine a lot of complaints from anyone who lived and/or worked around them... but Texas needs to do something. At least San Francisco is making an attempt. And they spend money on the problem. How wisely their doing it is for people in SF to decide. Here, we're not doing much. (except for the fine private sector efforts that help a great deal, but they can't be the sole answer to the homeless) Well, we do a lot of political posturing. We're real good at that. B-Bob, I just saw your post as I was getting ready to post this. The state of the economy hasn't helped in Texas, but the budget crisis was coming down the pike before the economy went south. Regardless of what Comptroller Rylander says. (forget about the Nuke, Austin, I had nothing to do with it... really! I can manage money, yes I can!)
Actually I ended the debate when Mrs. JB felt the need to resort to personal attacks. No surprise, really, that's what most people do after getting embarrassed.
Did anyone else get the sense that Mrs. JB was embarrassed yesterday? Trader_J, I read that post like she was calling you out after you suggested (1) tossing cats in the sewer, and (2) regarding homeless human beings as something akin to annoying vermin (okay, I paraphrase). I thought you were kidding, with #1, but if you weren't, that does seem pretty cold.
If you made the cat comment in my presence, I'd do my best to restrain from slapping you pretty good. I'd give you a chance to change your thoughts and apologize first, though . I hate to resort to violence, but I'd do it for those cats. It'd just sting a little bit Traitor Jorge, not like being drowned in the sewer . Peace.
Personal attack? I see no personal attack. If you don't see how someone (and most people here) would few you as cold for you cat statement, then you're an idiot. You can take that as a personal attack if you want, I really don't give a ****.
