Zoning is the New Political Target?

[Cat Herder]

• "Apartments aren’t the only type of housing snarled by zoning. In cities, many zoning codes ban single-room occupancies (SROs)—better known as boarding or rooming houses—in which residents rent a furnished private bedroom with a shared kitchen and bathroom. Where they’re allowed, SROs serve as a housing safety net, providing exceptionally affordable accommodations to low-income singles. In the postwar period, however, many cities—including New York—modified their zoning to ban them."
• "Manufactured homes⁠— trailers- or mobile homes⁠—once filled a similar niche in suburban and rural communities. Yet, as with SROs, many zoning codes ban manufactured housing."
• "federal-tax policy encouraged homeowners to treat their house as an investment"
• "need planners to facilitate subsidized housing, protect natural areas, and map out safe streets and parks"
• - https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/ar...ouston/661289/

If they take away the incentives for private home ownership, why would anyone bother owning or paying taxes for the "privilege"? We can all just do the minimum amount of effort in life and live in subsidized housing, right?? Oh, wait, what taxpayers will pay for it, then? There has to be a place for everything. Not all housing should be shoved into subdivisions. People who have already lived in apartments, trailers, and worked their way out, for many years, deserve the reward of peace and quiet. Take that away and they will just leave.

We all know what happens to areas when all the taxpayers leave.

[SandBox]

More goes into house inflation than just zoning. It might be a part of the problem, but it’s not all of the problem. Houston does well with no zoning. They do have deed restrictions and building codes though. But yea, you need restrictions to keep areas rural. I can see too though where zoning does create segregation and really can be unfair. And make it harder for some to get ahead and get out into better housing and areas. Regardless, they can’t seriously be blaming this housing inflation on zoning. 🙄

[Cat Herder]

We are having problems with people from the city buying up farmland and putting up luxury apartments. Then those tenants start filing lawsuits on the local farmers until they can't support their families anymore. They are popping out "farmhouse" themed social and golf clubhouses with $60 entrees at an alarming rate.

One farm was just turned into a "glamping" venue. Almost all of the historic district is now B&B's that locals can't afford. Rent has jumped from $400 on average to $1600 on average with no kids/no pets the preferred tenant.

Now those same tenants are swarming council meetings asking for child-free parks and public transportation. Golf carts were just approved on our roads. We are becoming the hillbilly "Villages". I was in town this weekend and spilled something on my shirt. I went into a little shop to grab a t-shirt so I could finish my shopping and the cheapest one I could find was $85. For a women's medium, hideous screenprint that looked like it came from Richard Simmons yard sale.

On the plus side, a single mother offered me cash to let her camp with her small kids in my backyard for the weekend (for safety and amenities) .... so there's that I suppose... I should probably clear off more river spots and change focus soon, huh?

[SandBox]

What are they suing farmers for? That’s crazy!
Your area sounds awful! I guess there isn’t any zoning for the rural areas?

I understand zoning for cities being a PIA. City life is city life, should be close living and needs to be affordable. People shouldn’t go to the city and need zoning for big lot sizes. Like get over yourself and move to the country. Everyone wants their cake and to eat it too. And that’s a problem.

I am in a rural area. We have zoning for lot sizes in certain areas. They just started allowing apartments in the town, but not a whole lot. The very rural county next to us has just allowed apartments in too. I know people aren’t happy about that. But they are keeping them in the town area, not the very rural parts of the county. Housing is still going up and their property values are still high. For now.

My county people are very vocal about outsiders moving in and trying to change everything. It is some big changes going on every where. It’s all very political too. However, it’s gotten too expensive now to buy a house here for most people. And interest rates are insane. So I can see this type of situation forcing more affordable and funded housing. It might be the direction the people who are in charge up top, want. I keep hearing this phrase “you will own nothing and be happy” flying around.

[Cat Herder]

I like how my old neighborhood in Florida did it. It was about 20 miles of subdivision with parks and sidewalks throughout. The front section (closest to the main highway to work) was smaller "starter" homes with basic, construction-grade interiors and small lots. As you went back further the houses were fancier with bigger yards and more expensive. In the front section was the elementary school and towards the back was the junior high school. Most kids walked or biked every day. But we had to be bussed 45 minutes away to the county high school.

Our first house was in the front section and we moved up to the middle section before moving states, entirely. It was a great neighborhood for growing up in, though. Even those of us with parents that were never around always had someone elses' parents looking over us. I wish there would be more of that being built.

[SandBox]

We started out in this snobby neighborhood, talking about childhood. Then moved to a country neighborhood. Like 10 acre lots. We had the old farm house that started as a cottage and had been there since like 1700s. So old old house. People started building around us. But it was a fun neighborhood. I stayed with my neighbors a lot too. Probably got on their nerves but it was that or I was by myself. Lol. My adult life, my husband can’t handle a neighborhood so we live on land. He hates people. 🤣