> > Over the past two years, the vacancy rates of rental units have increased > from 2.0 - 2.5% to 6.5% today. 5% is considered a balanced rental market. > > I don't know how many rental properties exist in Mpls. GVA Marquette > Advisors, who calculates the vacancy rate for the metro area, surveys about > 20,000 rental units in Minneapolis every quarter. A 4% increase in the > vacancy rate (6.5% - 2.5%) for Mpls translates to 800 more apartments empty. > TRANSLATION: GVA Marquette Advisors, which surveys a fraction of the > rentals in Minneapolis, had no trouble finding 800 MORE empty apartments > than a few years earlier. If one surveyed all rentals in Minneapolis the > number of vacant apartments would be MUCH larger. > > I find it utterly ridiculous that in an attempt to dispute the census > figures, Minneapolis Planning Director Chuck Ballentine "said other signs > that point to continued growth are low vacancy rates..." How can Mr. > Ballentine be the director of planning and NOT notice all the "For Rent" > signs around Minneapolis? > > Our leaders think there is a low vacancy rate. I am not sure if I should > laugh or cry. > > Bill Cullen > Hopkins & Uptown.
(CM) Affordable Housing has become way to big of a meal ticket for govt and non-profits. Solving this issue would cost too many jobs. Too many Exec Directors would have to go out and get real jobs. All those consultants, planners, managers, project directors, lobbyists, past government employees would have to go. The horror! Addressing and managing the 'problem' is the way to keep many people on the payroll. But don't solve the problem or admit that the problem has gone away. Nonono, we can't have that. Our leaders would be honest if they eliminated the last department created to address this issue. Henn Cty would be the likely subject. We have a whole new affordable housing department at the county level. Duplicative, un-necessary and a waste of money better spent elsewhere. Craig Miller Rogers [EMAIL PROTECTED] TEMPORARY REMINDER: 1. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. 2. If you don't like what's being discussed here, don't complain - change the subject (Mpls-specific, of course.) ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
