How Serious Is the Current Housing Epidemic Sweeping Across Our Cities?

Survival is key

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Lately, there’s been so much chatter about how challenging the housing situation has been in many places. It’s hard not to feel down when thinking about it.

It used to be where a single-income family could easily buy a house or rent an apartment. This was in the ’70s, yet it was the norm.

So what happened?

Families have been fading, and some think the institution wants it this way. I’m not a big conspiracy person, yet everything has some truth.

The People Who Run the World

I don’t think anyone knows who these people are, but there is some speculation. People like the very wealthy to the chairman of the Federal Reserve.

I won’t go into detail, but breaking families apart would make financial sense.

We are much stronger together, so a single parent is a monetary gain for corporations and the wealthy. There are also other reasons.

For example, giant kickbacks to the state depend on how many child support payments they bring in.

Ridiculous Housing Prices

I’m not only referring to houses but also rents.

How can people afford to buy all these houses?

Seriously!

I used to be a banker, so I did mortgages, and the rule of thumb was to take someone’s total gross income and multiply it by two.

If you had a two-person household, add them and multiply by two. If you make $60,000 living alone, you could afford a mortgage of $120,000.

Good luck buying a house, my friend.

There is a luxury condo going up in the hood of West Palm Beach where the units are between 1.4 million and 4+ million. Oh, and it’s 85% sold.

Who’s buying these?

I consider myself financially independent, yet I can’t afford that condo. Aren’t we getting sick of this crap?

Even rents are ridiculous. We are almost at the point where you must live in a house with many people and share the costs. Not family, but random roommates.

I have never done that and should never have to, yet that’s a reality for many people.

What Are the Solutions?

We need way more affordable housing developments. Stop building all these luxury places. Only the rich and credit-extended can afford them.

There would be a huge demand for smaller living spaces with necessities.

Think of a 350-square-foot apartment for a single person or parent with only one child.

You might need a bit more square footage in that case, but we don’t need a 1,000-square-foot apartment for three grand a month.

What about semi-tiny home communities?

Think 400–750 square feet. Why do all the homes nowadays need to be McMansions? It’s an epidemic.

I get it; everyone wants the biggest and best; it’s natural. But when you can’t afford much, you can’t afford much.

Let’s start building clean, sustainable housing.

We should avoid constructing many high-end homes with marble countertops, a huge sitting room, and a foyer. The government should demand this from builders.

But we all know how well the government handles things—especially financials.

I understand there is a demand for this type of housing. Otherwise, people would not purchase them and wouldn’t continue to build them.

Times are tough out there for a lot of people.

The growing number of individuals in their vehicles will only increase with time.

Thank you for reading :)