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0 pointswmil7y ago0 comments

The problem is that you can't actually build low income housing in a tight market. All housing is desirable when there's a severe shortage like we're seeing in Toronto and other cities where new construction is being limited.

So the cities usually respond to this by trying to apply criteria to who's allowed to use the new housing. It's inevitably managed in a crooked fashion.

So the children and mistresses of city councilors get cheap housing and the working middle class get screwed.

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foota7y ago· 1 in thread

Citation? Otherwise this seems like a straw person. Even if a few people get cheap housing there's still lots more.

sudosteph7y ago

In the Seattle-area there was recently a story about some people doing exactly that with an affordable condo program: https://www.king5.com/article/news/more-owners-of-affordable...

And anecdotally I had to listen to a guy brag about qualifying for an income-reduced rental for a Seattle apartment complex by not reporting his tips at his waiting job.

So it definitely does happen, especially in tight markets where having a cheap place can bring big AirBnN money. But there are many people, especially the elderly and those with disabilities who benefit greatly from these same places available, so while I'm angered about those who abuse the system and don't think we can ignore those issues, I don't think income restricted housing should be abandoned wholesale. The penalties for abusing it should be extremely high though.

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