I recently told the city council that we have a housing crisis on all income levels in Sioux Falls. It doesn’t matter if you have the resources to get good permanent housing in town, the availability is lacking even on the high end.
WAPO wrote a great illustrated story about Missing Middle Housing, the argument is simple;
Still, many economists contend that building a bunch of new homes for middle- and upper-income families – in Arlington or elsewhere – can reduce competition for older homes and keep them more affordable.
I am having a better understanding of ‘trickle down housing’. It seems the sweet spot is building good, affordable workforce and middle income housing freeing up less expensive housing and creating more units and density.
Of course, the City of Sioux Falls Planning office thinks that building homes and condos for the super rich will trickle down to all income levels, but it seems the approach that works the best is building middle income housing first.
The city recently passed new mixed use zoning rules, and it is a good step, but it is going to be a bear to fight all the residential neighborhoods around these projects.
The city wants to look upscale. Realistically, there’s a few estates but there’s lots of homeless. Public planning default is cardboard boxes and trash barrel warmth. A city where one cannot afford shelter, food, or transportation is destined for demise. The middle class leaves for neighboring communities. City policy is blight with a few castles. Leave and go where there’s no authoritarian charter.
Don’t get me going on this issue. I’ve written it time after time: What we have in this town is merely a Soviet housing program….. Apartments, apartments, and more apartments…. But I thought we won the Cold War.
When Ike was president and the Soviets were building Sputnik, the top federal tax rate in this country was 90% and the middle class flourished, but when you start to cut rates for the wealthy the rich will then build, build, and build, and the lower classes will then begin to struggle like that musical chair game, where every time the music stops a chair is taken away…. Maybe that’s music to the hears for some, but not for most.
( and Woodstock adds: “‘Sputnik’?”…. “Say, is it true that the Soviets used to send dogs into space?”…. (….. “Gee, I wonder if they ever sent any little birds into space, too?”… 🙁 …….))
Gas prices are collapsing….. “Thanks a lot Biden”…..