Why It's Becoming Cool to Live in Your Car – Or a 150-sq. ft. Apartment

The Christian Science Monitor ^ | August 21, 2017 | Jessica Mendoza

[Alberta's Child]

Good points, but there are places all over this country -- including some towns near me that are among the top 1% of the U.S. in terms of median income -- where working-class people live a lot like the way you describe.

Heck -- you could probably even get something like this built in most jurisdictions under the existing zoning regulations for a hotel or college dorm.

[BJ1]

>>>Heck — you could probably even get something like this built in most jurisdictions under the existing zoning regulations for a hotel or college dorm.<<<

I’m somewhat knowledgeable about about zoning regulations in the Chicago metro area. I don’t think the structure I described would be build-able in almost any suburb. Chicago itself has rezoned things about 15 years ago to make it even more restrictive in terms of lot size per unit.

I am not sure there would be a need for housing like this in an area that didn’t have high housing costs. Just get a nice house or apartment to rent no?

[Calvin Locke]

I personally find it asinine ...

I'm torn. If you were a home owner, or property owner, or even a business owner in the area of an SRO, it's been known to attract bums, winos, hobos, etc., and not "normal" people.

OTOH, it could probably be some fake SJWs, in collusion with Section 8 administrators, taking out the competition.

[Haiku Guy]

All part of the happy-go-lucky Funemployment lifestyle...

[TalonDJ]

“Maybe convert old drive-ins to plug in parking stops with security and electricity for a nominal fee”

Er... isn’t that what an RV ‘camp ground’ is?

[Keyhopper]

Wait til they take her car for a more needy person

[FatherofFive]

Not being able to store and prepare means you eat out all the time. That is a clear path to heart disease and obesity.

And a high cost endgame.

[sickoflibs]

Its pretty hot and humid here in Maryland this time of year and I don’t even like driving let alone living in my car.

[toast]

I’d suggest an urban RV park. Let them park a small camper. Provide RV hookups. Have a building for bathrooms/showers/laundry/gym. Have a campground pool/hot tub and a nice patio to grill and have drinks.

They pay an association fee but don’t have to clean the common areas. Might even convince me to stay awhile.

[central_va]

RV campgrounds are too expensive.

[Calvin Locke]

I wonder what she uses when nature calls at 2am?

Years ago, I worked with a guy that had his Saab 900 stolen. It was found in nearby Boston with a couple of bums living in it.

The insurance company had it restored, rather than buying him a new one.

Naturally, all the interior upholstery was replaced.

[minnesota_bound]

#6 I see a older guy in the Pavilions grocery store parking lot for at least 2 years now ‘camping’ in his car (southern California).
He has plastic bins strapped to the roof of his car for extra storage. How he survives in 140 degree heat inside that car in the summer time is beyond me.

[wastedyears]

There’s the problem. She prefers going out too often and traveling over having a home and roof over her head. I guess the concept of savings is alien to her.

[BJ1]

I understand the reason why SROs have been zoned out of existence. But are you not infringing on other people’s freedom? How about the freedom to live cheaply and not to pay for things they don’t want (such as a living room, kitchen and private bath).

Also where are the working poor supposed to live? Is it not unfair to discriminate against them because winos and druggies exist?

[Mears]

“Not being able to store and prepare means you eat out all the time. That is a clear path to heart disease and obesity.”

---

Eating out can be just as healthy as eating at home.

.

[socalgop]

Because jobs are pouring into a few areas along the west coast and our ability to build housing isn’t keeping up. Bipartisan NIMBYism makes it impossible to build the kind of density these places need.

[Tammy8]

That type of housing should not be against zoning. It sounds like a dormitory, which would work for affordable housing. The politicians need to put their money where their mouth is, change zoning so these could be built.

[Calvin Locke]

True, but it's not me that discriminating against responsible people, but the SJWs and politicians.

There was a recent article about Seattle(?) making it illegal for landlords to look at criminal records of prospective tenants.

While still leaving them liable for the actions of said tenants.

[grania]

Around here, housing costs are exploding because contractors are fixiated on projects that maximize their profit. It's either

(1)over-priced silly houses with garages jutting out in front of them on lots as small as they can get away with or

(2) they have some fancy label for high-density or multiple story behemoths that will be financed generously by subsidies if they don't actually become "high income apartment buildings" or "assisted living facilities" or "resort-quality senior living".

(3)Getting approval to change zoning completely so neighbors would be stuck with high-traffic businesses or even "light manufacturing"

The result of these messes when they get away with them.....traffic, proportionately more expenses for town services and utilities, and an even worse living environment for the residents who are already there. It's a nightmare around here, the constant fight against these contractors. They only have to win once. We have to win every time. If they'd build 1200 sq ft (or so) modest houses on half acre lots, they'd make a profit. But not enough to suit their greed. Doesn't help that some local pols sure are behaving as if they'd benefit financially from trashing zoning laws.

grrrr.......

[BJ1]

I didn’t mean you, personally. I just mean the typical voter/homeowner that the town councils appease. You have your nice little house and you want to live in a “nice” area with good schools. Trouble with that is that the typical middle class definition of nice is exclusionary. It’s nice because the undesirables don’t live by me.

This is not a left/right issues either. This is all about folks who got theirs and don’t care about the lack of options for the poor schmucks working dead end menial jobs.