>> Idea: Is there a way for regular people to build affordable housing? Crowdfunding perhaps? <<
It depends on the place. Many cities have banned most or all the options, and then whine about the bad outcomes.
There are ways to build affordable housing, such as:
* Move somewhere that doesn't have zoning and build whatever you damn please. This is usually what intentional communities will do. While it's hard for new ones to survive, getting into an established one is often much easier.
* Allow accessory dwelling units. Some desperate towns are changing their codes to permit this. An advantage is that some types -- attic, basement, or garage apartments -- add nothing to the footprint.
* Cottage courtyards are both affordable and encouraging of socialization. They have several small homes sharing a common yard, and can be done rent or own. At 1-2 bedrooms each, these are ideal starter homes for young families or retirement homes for empty nesters.
* A tiny house village is a similar concept. Many designs for these are simple enough for ordinary people to build.
* Trailer parks or modular home parks can make for very affordable living. To avoid usury, it is best if the land is owned by a neighborhood collective and rented by households; currently the land is usually owned by a single outside landlord, which invites many abuses. Note that for safety's sake you really need either a community storm shelter or a storm porch on every home.
* A similar approach will work for tiny houses on wheels. Think something like RV parking.
* A very good option is small apartment buildings with 4-16 units. These often fit on a corner lot. Adding efficiency and 1-bedroom units to a typical neighborhood of 2-3 bedroom houses will widen the range of people who can afford to live there. They don't cost much more to build than a single-family house of similar size.
* Shipping container homes. While not allowed in many areas, these are becoming more popular where they are.
>>Someplace more populated could maybe do this with apartment buildings, too. Crowdfund, buy the building from the slumlord, fix it up, set up a resident's association, and have people 'buy' the apartment for keeps with regular rent payments.<<
Some people have done this.
Also, hotels make excellent conversions to small apartments.
>>You could even combine the idea with that college student and immigrant housing they tried in, Finland, I think. Or adjust it for different demographics in your area.<<
Good idea.
>>Also, one could keep the value low by designing undesirable features...like a scruffy native-plant lawn, or encouraging people to dry their laundry in the front yard.<<
Another good approach is car-low or carless housing adjacent to mass-transit.
This can also work if you build live-work developments, where people will live above their own workplace and be able to walk to other people's workplaces for everyday errands. While illegal to build in most places, some towns are doing away with parking minimums. So long as you ensure people don't need a car there, it's okay to build housing without parking.
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dancing_serpent
Re: Thoughts
Date: 2021-11-20 06:59 am (UTC)It depends on the place. Many cities have banned most or all the options, and then whine about the bad outcomes.
There are ways to build affordable housing, such as:
* Move somewhere that doesn't have zoning and build whatever you damn please. This is usually what intentional communities will do. While it's hard for new ones to survive, getting into an established one is often much easier.
* Allow accessory dwelling units. Some desperate towns are changing their codes to permit this. An advantage is that some types -- attic, basement, or garage apartments -- add nothing to the footprint.
* Cottage courtyards are both affordable and encouraging of socialization. They have several small homes sharing a common yard, and can be done rent or own. At 1-2 bedrooms each, these are ideal starter homes for young families or retirement homes for empty nesters.
* A tiny house village is a similar concept. Many designs for these are simple enough for ordinary people to build.
* Trailer parks or modular home parks can make for very affordable living. To avoid usury, it is best if the land is owned by a neighborhood collective and rented by households; currently the land is usually owned by a single outside landlord, which invites many abuses. Note that for safety's sake you really need either a community storm shelter or a storm porch on every home.
* A similar approach will work for tiny houses on wheels. Think something like RV parking.
* A very good option is small apartment buildings with 4-16 units. These often fit on a corner lot. Adding efficiency and 1-bedroom units to a typical neighborhood of 2-3 bedroom houses will widen the range of people who can afford to live there. They don't cost much more to build than a single-family house of similar size.
* Shipping container homes. While not allowed in many areas, these are becoming more popular where they are.
https://www.24hplans.com/top-20-shipping-container-home-designs-and-their-costs/
https://www.customcontainerliving.com/view-all.html
* This type of modular development is described in notes. Individuals can buy in with a small or large unit suited to their needs.
>>A buy-by-paying-rent development that allows farm animals and gardens while being decinly-sized for human life would be awesome.<<
See halal mortgages.
>>Someplace more populated could maybe do this with apartment buildings, too. Crowdfund, buy the building from the slumlord, fix it up, set up a resident's association, and have people 'buy' the apartment for keeps with regular rent payments.<<
Some people have done this.
Also, hotels make excellent conversions to small apartments.
>>You could even combine the idea with that college student and immigrant housing they tried in, Finland, I think. Or adjust it for different demographics in your area.<<
Good idea.
>>Also, one could keep the value low by designing undesirable features...like a scruffy native-plant lawn, or encouraging people to dry their laundry in the front yard.<<
Another good approach is car-low or carless housing adjacent to mass-transit.
This can also work if you build live-work developments, where people will live above their own workplace and be able to walk to other people's workplaces for everyday errands. While illegal to build in most places, some towns are doing away with parking minimums. So long as you ensure people don't need a car there, it's okay to build housing without parking.