Hey Folks, I have an opportunity here very soon to have some say in the affordable housing situation in my town (we'll see). While I read over the planning and studies the town has already done, I'd like to get a sense of the field for what effective policy looks like, what current left thinking on the matter is.

I don't know what I don't know, you know? Obviously, any advocacy I do will need to be a synthesis of the conditions of the place I live and whatever current leading thinking is on the matter, while dealing with the limitations of liberal democracy. I figured this was a good place to ask.

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[–] RedWizard@hexbear.net 2 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Rent control sadly is not in the cards. The state does not allow municipalities to enact any form of rent control from my reading of the municipal powers section of the law.

Public Housing is in the cards though. They have a housing trust currently and non profit that they use to build and maintain ownership over affordable housing properties. I don't know all the details though. They just finished building a housing unit on our main street.

They've done a lot to I think insolate new housing from the market but what's might be more radical would be a community land trust.

Our states head of housing was a drunk divorced landlord Democrat, so were fuckin cooked out here.

[–] Jabril@hexbear.net 2 points 10 hours ago (1 children)

If rent control is not possible, maybe getting an elected rent adjustment program board set up could help. It's basically an elected board that tenants can bring housing issues toand the board can decide to lower or waive rent in response to grievances. They generally also exist to mediate tenant landlord disputes. Often times landlords spend money to get "their guys" elected on these boards (like every elected position) but there could be some clause that landlords and their agents can't be on the board or something like that

[–] RedWizard@hexbear.net 1 points 10 hours ago

I have to check and see if we have a high enough population for that. We might be just over the threshold. There is a minimum required level of population before we're allowed to do that for some reason.

[–] Chana@hexbear.net 2 points 20 hours ago

Nice a housing authority of some kind is very useful