I'm not certain of what Ms. Heller is implying in her post below. My guess is that she is implying that there really is affordable housing in the city, if we'd just look for it. If I'm mistaken, please accept my apologies and I ask for a correction.
That said, I would respectfully offer some thoughts, on the assumption that my guess is correct. The rents shown below seem to run around $600/month. Most landlords ask for three times rent as minimum income for their tenants. This would mean that a tenant, in order to afford a $600 rent, needs to make $1800/month. $1800 is $21,600 yearly, or $10.38/hour at full time. This is also gross income, not net. Assuming that appoximately 28% of gross income goes to taxes and other deductions, take home income runs around $1300. All of my quick math means that the roughly median rent will require almost half of your monthly income, if you have a job that pays enough to qualify for the apartment. Now, if you're a single person with no dependents, an argument can be made that you COULD get by on this budget. Nothing luxurious, but you'd be off the street , able to feed yourself, and make enough to buy a bus pass. However, add a dependent or two and this tight budget quickly becomes unmanagable. Or, make less than $10.38/hour (and many of the people in needed entry level jobs make less than that) and the budget quickly becomes too tight. I'm not arguing that people of modest means are necessarily entitled to hand-outs just because they're of modest means. On the contrary, I don't support hand-outs to individuals much more than I support hand-outs to corporations. People can and have gotten by on very modest means by hard work, my family being at that point also when I was younger. If anything, I'd argue that if we agree that restaurant workers, retail workers, hotel housekeepers, bank tellers and many other jobs are needed in this local economy, then it is in the best interests of all to see if we can work with private developers to find housing that workers of modest means can afford. Just a few thoughts while I'm staying up much too late for the new job I need to be at in the morning. Gary Bowman 1-1 P.S. Looking at the NE Mpls. rents, apparently NE landlords have changed their outlooks on rents. I remember that NE always used to be the area where you could get cheap rents in safe neighborhoods, as long as you didn't need glitzy neighborhoods. However, it appears there's little difference in NE rents from other rents nowadays, Uptown excepted (gotta pay for the glitz around Hennepin Avenue ;-) ). On Mon, 07 January 2002, "Victoria Heller" wrote: > > Apts & Condos - Minneapolis (Monday's Star Tribune Classifieds) > I just randomly clipped a few...... > > * LORING PK & STEVENS SQ * Studios $435-$510 1BR's $550-$650 Hwd flrs, > quiet bldg, professional landlord ref's req'd 612-871-2155 www.copenet.com > Published 07-Jan-2002 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > LAKE OF THE ISLES Emerson Av 1924, studio apt $445/mo, avl immed, ph > 612-374-3284 Published 07-Jan-2002 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > EAST RIVER TERRACE 2101 On the River. Beaut studios & 1 BR apts. Hdwd > floors. Ht pd. $600 & $750. 612-333-2057 Published 06-Jan-2002 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > STEVENS AVE S 36XX Huge 2BR, hdwd flrs, 4 season porch. $720. > 612-822-7286 Published 06-Jan-2002 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > LINDEN HILLS Blv 42xx. 1BR, top flr of hse, offst prkg,lake 1 blk,no > pet $675 612-822-0222 Published 06-Jan-2002 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > NICOLLET & 38TH Spacious 1 BR, new crpt $595. Avail 2/1 or earlier > 612-810-9390 Published 06-Jan-2002 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > NICOLLET AVE S 4422 Spac 1BR in turn of the century brick building, > upr lvl, hrdwd flrs, lots of closet space, vintage features, ht pd, avail > 2/1, $695. Chad or Tracy 612-823-1227 Published 06-Jan-2002 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > 38TH & NICOLLET AV S Spac studio, berber crpt, avail 1/15 & 2/1, $495. > Controlled entry. Call Amy 612-827-9098 Published 06-Jan-2002 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > LONGFELLOW & 36th 1 lg BR redecor, off st pk, 2 fam dplx $650 ht/ele > pd 612-991-4908 Published 06-Jan-2002 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > CEDAR S 2934 Effcy $540; 1 BR $610. Quiet bldg, new paint, heat paid > 612-724-1787 Published 06-Jan-2002 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > BLAISDELL AVE S, 38xx 1br/effcy, carpet, off st prkg $550-$650. > 612-922-7925 Published 06-Jan-2002 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > 4th Av S & 24th St 1BR, offst prkg. $500/mo + util & dep. Avail now. > 651-631-8628 Published 06-Jan-2002 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > 13TH AV. S. 35XX Lrg studio Sml pet ok. $450+ utls, imed. 612-823-6655 > 612-824-0223 Published 06-Jan-2002 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > FIRST MONTH FREE* Many Locations Contemp & Brownstones Every Size > $400-$935 Great Maintenance Professional Management 763-572-9400 > kleinmanrealty.com * Call for details. Published 06-Jan-2002 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > MARSHALL ST, 2652 NE 1BR, $590, modern kitchen, d/w, pkg, bus, > river/park. No pets, 612-788-6425 Feb 1 Published 06-Jan-2002 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > FILMORE ST NE 7XX $695 2BR, off st prk, lndry, on bus, heat pd, 1/15. > 612-789-8059 Published 06-Jan-2002 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > MINI-MANSION Rare 1br $595 952-996-8970 Published 06-Jan-2002 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > OAK GROVE 200 Lg 4 rm studio $530 & 1BR $635, oak flrs & ww. Lg 3 rm > bsmt studio, ceil fans, lg walk-in closet $475. 10 min walk to DT. Bus, cat > ok. No application fee. 612-825-3214 Published 06-Jan-2002 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > LORING-DOWNTOWN Lg studio in 1920 vintage brownstone bldg w/hdwd flrs, > eat-in kit & walkin closet. 1525 LaSalle Ave. $490 Heat pd No pets * > 952-922-4945 Published 06-Jan-2002 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > GUTHRIE/LORING 333 OAK GROVE ST * Newer building * 1BR's, 1BR with > balcony, 2BR w/balcony; $525-$895 * Controlled entrance; elevator * Heated > parking available * Outside, off street pkg avail * Available 1/1 * Walking > distance to park * 13th month free w/1 yr lease * 612-870-8888 * * > 952-920-9216 * Published 06-Jan-2002 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > DOWNTOWN STUDIO APTS $375 - $510 612-870-1412 Published > 06-Jan-2002 > > > _______________________________________ > Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy > Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: > http://e-democracy.org/mpls --------------------------------------------------- Get your free web based email from Crosswalk.com: http://mail.crosswalk.com _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
