Hi Patrick, You raised many good points that I agree with. I do want to point out though that having a full time "good-paying" job isn't enough anymore (or maybe the wages of what one can consider a "good paying" job has changed considerably).
Take the job that pays $20. At 40 hours per week, that is $800. Monthly pay before taxes will be $3200. Now assume this person is a single parent of one child or the caretaker of elderly parents with meager Social Security incomes. A 2 bedroom apartment costs roughly $2000. Already over 50 percent of their pre-tax income has been taken for rent. Utilities are additional, as are food, childcare, et cetera. This is why in addition to the need for physical housing in accessible areas, there is a need for truly affordable housing, which I would consider as income-driven rents, where families can afford to live and make ends meet. Thank you for reading, Victoria Benalfew On Fri, Jan 28, 2022, 9:05 AM Patrick B <[email protected]> wrote: > Hi Lincoln, > > To understand the housing situation, we must understand what is happening > in Boston and the region: > > 1. When housing costs go up in Boston, it goes up everywhere. > 2. Affordability of housing is not just about cost, it's about access > to public transportation and jobs. > 3. Builders have been building fewer houses since 2008. They are > building houses and apartments mainly in high income areas (along 128). > 4. Another factor is that people who used to retire and move south are > now staying because of the quality of our healthcare system here in Mass. > 5. I think the solution is real full time jobs that pay well (at least > $20). > 6. Another positive thing that I see happening in the next 5 years is > conversion of many office and commercial spaces into apartments. > > I hope this helps. > > Thank you, > > P > > On Fri, Jan 28, 2022 at 7:04 AM Christine Damon <[email protected]> > wrote: > >> I am so happy Housing is being discussed here! >> >> I love the proposal for more units close to the train station and I love >> the proposals for more accessory apartments as residents recognize that >> they can comfortably live in much smaller spaces and help reduce their >> ecological footprint. >> >> Like Susan, I have looked in vain for affordable units in eastern Ma when >> I was the director of a migrant educational program and my students faced >> eviction during the pandemic. >> >> Now I teach at HAB and hear students talking about how their parents plan >> to retire from the military but struggle to find housing in the region. >> >> A small group of us here in Lincoln have been looking for two years for >> an affordable apartment in town for a single mother of 3 who is a social >> worker in her country of origin but who works as a cleaning person at an >> elder care facility while she learns English. Her monthly income is less >> than the cost of a 2-bedroom rental. >> >> I feel hopeful both that environmental awareness is speeding up >> downsizing and that awareness is growing about the damage of systemic >> racism in housing realities and about how that works to maintain America’s >> caste system. >> >> I love this town but struggled to sustain the love, especially during >> the large house building boom of the 1990s. Currently my love is >> strengthening as I see the pendulum shifting in a healthier direction on so >> many fronts and on so many issues. >> >> Thank you all for all you do and for choosing to live in this special >> place. >> >> Chris Damon >> >> Sent from my iPhone >> -- >> The LincolnTalk mailing list. >> To post, send mail to [email protected]. >> Search the archives at http://lincoln.2330058.n4.nabble.com/. >> Browse the archives at >> https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/private/lincoln/. >> Change your subscription settings at >> https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/lincoln. >> >> -- > The LincolnTalk mailing list. > To post, send mail to [email protected]. > Search the archives at http://lincoln.2330058.n4.nabble.com/. > Browse the archives at https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/private/lincoln/ > . > Change your subscription settings at > https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/lincoln. > >
-- The LincolnTalk mailing list. To post, send mail to [email protected]. Search the archives at http://lincoln.2330058.n4.nabble.com/. Browse the archives at https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/private/lincoln/. Change your subscription settings at https://pairlist9.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/lincoln.
