Politics of Housing and Homelessness Final

political clout

political power or influence of a non- politician that usually comes with having money or publicity. People with this can more easily make changes in society than people who are lacking it.

Home Owners Association (HOA)

An organization of property owners in a subdivision, planned community, or condominium that makes and enforces rules for the properties within its jurisdiction.
- keeps people from building or altering their homes or yards in ways that may bring down property value or make the neighborhood look less appealing

Arguments against HOA

- some say it violates property rights (man who had to buy a $300 mailbox because the rules were changed)
- in some strict HOAs, people get fined for things like leaving cars in the street, lawn appearance, leaving a garage open, ect.
- leaders are elected, but there is often conflict in HOAs between members. tension in communities

politics definition

people attempting to get their way in conflict with others

What role does political capital in the government play in politics?

Government has the authority to allocate resources and values
- among competing values, government decides what is important and what is not

political capital

A politician's accumulation of resources and power built through relationships, trust, goodwill, and influence between politicians or parties and other stakeholders, such as constituents.

some examples of resources that the government can allocate

Money, People, Time, Attention

some examples of values that government may focus on when distributing resources

- security
- economy/jobs
- private property
- education
- environment
- social services
- housing

example of how changes in federal spending can affect people

Article "sequester cuts hit home for Minnesotans"
^ people who rely on government programs for necessities are concerned when the government may put that money towards something else instead

zoning laws

legal restrictions on land use that determine what types of building and economic activities are allowed to take place in certain areas.

argument against zoning

- can prohibit the building of affordable housing in some areas
- can be used to keep people of a specific race or social class from moving into an area (see the article: "the racist origins of San Francisco's housing crisis)

pros of zoning

- can protect and enhance property values
- preserve land and existing structures
- separates building uses that might conflict (an elementary school won't be built next to a strip club)
- can guarantee privacy and space in homes for people who do not want to live close to others

Issues of living in a large/ luxurious home

- upkeep of the home is very expensive
- security is a constant concern and privacy isn't an option because maintenance staff is necessary

In the Broken Doors documentary, what are some potential reasons that LeStarr (and other homeless people) can't get off of the streets

- Lack of employment is a big issue. People are not always willing to hire a homeless individual because they are worried about their lack of education and skills or that they may act unprofessional or be unreliable.
- LeStarr was pregnant and didn't have the financial resources to take care of a child

Squatters

People who live in a vacant or abandoned property
-this is illegal in cases where the government owns the property because it is technically trespassing

How does the quality of a public school affect the value of living in the area that is assigned to the school.

Schools that are known to have high achievement and good programs such as the Edina school district make the area more expensive to live in.
- There was a controversy when people who lived in Edina were assigned to go to Hopkins schools and had to open enroll

Consequences of living in public housing

Ex. Brownsville, Brooklyn
- children are exposed to violence which can damage their ability to learn and develop academically
- infrastructure is often old and things get broken and are not fixed especially if the city is not putting enough money towards them

government definition of affordable housing

Housing where a household with a low income pays no more than 30% of its gross income for housing costs

subsidized housing

A part of a social program to as, government supported accommodation to people with low or moderate incomes; when the government provides subsidies or rent assistance for people living in private market housing. (Housing subsidies, public housing, etc.)

Why can't many Disneyland employees find quality housing? What issue does this bring up?

Many employed people end up living in motels or in their cars because their jobs do not pay enough for them to own or rent a house or apartment. It shows that homelessness doesn't always mean a person is uneducated or unemployed.

legal restrictions on homeless people

cities make laws against panhandling and sleeping in public places or living in vehicles

Why is it argued that homelessness is an industry?

Homeless services are part of an industry that relies on the existence of homelessness and often manages the issue but doesn't take action to put an end to it.

Gentrification

A process of converting an urban neighborhood from a predominantly low-income renter-occupied area to a predominantly middle-class owner-occupied area.

pros of gentrification

- commercial development
- business and employment opportunities
- lower crime rates
- increase in property value which benefits people who own their home

Issues with gentrification

- people's rent rises and they can no longer afford to live in the area
- can cause the demographics of an area to change so it becomes predominantly white when it was once more diverse
- can cause conflict between high and low classes

HUD (Department of Housing and Urban Development)

A program that helps with housing shortages in urban/rural areas and forces non-discrimination laws.

Section 8 Vouchers

certificates provided through the US department of housing and urban development for use with both nonprofit and for profit housing

Landlord conflict with section 8 vouchers

A city law went into effect saying that Landlords could not discriminate against section 8 holders because some building owners didn't want them living there

Why did the HUD secretary want to triple the rent for the poor people using government aid/ why do people argue that this will solve the issue?

People want to enforce work requirements and push the poor to make more money, arguing that they must try to improve their situation rather than just relying on government aid

rent control

When the government puts a cap on rising rent so that lower income individuals can stay in their homes

Issues with Foster care

- Some people take advantage of the system to get benefits from the government and don't provide a good home for the child
- Many Foster parents say that they can no longer afford to provide for foster children because of the lack of government money being put towards the programs

Charity vs. Philanthropy

Charity focuses on immediate relief for an issue while philanthropy focuses on a long term solution by addressing the root of the problem