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Posted by - on August 01, 2001 at 21:10:38:

In Reply to: Seeing both sides and affordable housing posted by Ryan on August 01, 2001 at 11:37:28:

Ryan - Sounds like your own pracitcal experience in providing affordable housing doesn't jive with your philosophy that no one "owns" land. Maybe you need to alter your philosophy ?

Land is owned in a very true sense of the world. No one would build anything of value on land unless they had very clear title of ownership to that land - otherwise they'd have no incentive, if buildings - (essentially the fruit of their labors) could be seized or claimed by others. Yes, people work for a profit and look out for their own personal interests.

Squatting may get you minimally acceptable shelter for the time being. But it doesn't give you any ownership rights to the land, and even if ownership was up for grabs, you'd be fighting with a bunch of others over it. That's why nice, desireable buildings aren't squats, nor public housing projects: they're condos, coops, or apartments.

You're right that people choose where live, and lots of people make the choice to live where its expensive. But they don't need to. For instance: If you're paying more than $400 a month in rent now, you could be OWNING a coop (actually shares in a coop corporation) rather than shelling out every month for rent.

Too many would rather shell out money they can barely afford for an apartment in a fashionable part of town.

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: Ryan - Sounds like your own pracitcal experience in providing affordable housing doesn't jive with your philosophy that no one "owns" land.  Maybe you need to alter your philosophy ?

: Land is owned in a very true sense of the world.  No one would build anything of value on land unless they had very clear title of ownership to that land - otherwise they'd have no incentive, if buildings - (essentially the fruit of their labors) could be seized or claimed by others.  Yes, people work for a profit and look out for their own personal interests.

: Squatting may get you minimally acceptable shelter for the time being.  But it doesn't give you any ownership rights to the land, and even if ownership was up for grabs, you'd be fighting with a bunch of others over it.  That's why nice, desireable buildings aren't squats, nor public housing projects: they're condos, coops, or apartments.

: You're right that people choose where live, and lots of people make the choice to live where its expensive.  But they don't need to.  For instance: If you're paying more than $400 a month in rent now, you could be OWNING a coop (actually shares in a coop corporation) rather than shelling out every month for rent.

: Too many would rather shell out money they can barely afford for an apartment in a fashionable part of town.


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