Did you think the housing crisis is something only Californians have to deal with? Not true! Access to shelter seems to me is a human right, but hundreds of millions of people lack adequate, affordable housing. I read a report from the World Bank which states that the housing crisis is global, not local. This impacts as many as 1.6 billion people in 2025. That number is growing daily. They state in the report that by 2030, the world needs to build 96,000 new affordable homes per day to meet the needs of 3 billion unhoused people. So what is behind this human tragedy (besides the fact that there are TOO MANY PEOPLE on this planet)??? Here in the USA it might be said that the housing crisis is primarily caused by a shortage of affordable housing, rising costs of living, and stagnant wages that do not keep pace with housing prices. Restrictive land use policies, high interest rates, and a lack of investment make the situation worse. As to the global issue, wars may be the primary reason for housing issues, with so many being randomly destroyed. But similar to the US it can also be said that the worldwide housing crisis is primarily caused by rising housing costs that outpace household incomes, supply constraints like land use restrictions, and shortages of labor and construction materials. How has the housing crisis affected you or those you know? What do you think should be done?
So whatever happened to the tiny house movement? It seemed to have a moment in time, now hardly discussed.
Most Americans have too much "stuff". It won't fit in a 'tiny' house. Thousands of people have joined the military to have a way to pay for college, then worked their tail off for 45-plus years to get where they are -- not necessarily well off -- but secure in most ways.
The UK has a terrible problem with homelessness, not enough affordable housing, unscrupulous landlords etc etc etc. I'm not sure there is a solution. The problem should have been addressed years ago buefore it became unsolvable! Successive governments here have failed to deal with the situation. Public housing stock has been allowed to become so run down as to become unliveable in apart from those who are desperate and have no other options, the concept of "affordable housing" is a fucking joke. Define affordable! The private renting sector is almost ungoverned and a minefield. There are moves to stop no fault evictions but it is a drop in the ocean.
Nail on the head there. Airbnb should be shut down. Housing crisis would be solved in weeks. House prices and rents will come down too. Why should one company and real estate companies be able to corner the market it accomdation. WTF happened to hotels for fucks sake! Ffs.
A few decades ago I brushed against the real estate industry for a bit. I was troubled to hear way back then about Real Estate Investment Trusts, which led to a corporate buying of homes, and jacking up the rents in the name of profit. And now we have AirBnB... is this progress?
Because in capitalism, EVERYTHING always has a price, but with no logical price controls over anything. So , as is obvious now---the few have so much--the many have so little and there's no way to go back or to refashion a just society for all.
I think for the big players, the millionaires / billionaires, from a certain point money is made shifting / investing / controlling paperwork / ownership of entities , whereas those that are working people have been convinced that hard work --for life usually--is to be attained , maintained and to always--ALWAYS; "BUY MORE. BUY MORE NOW. Never mind "those who control and have" ---that's none of your business, except to envy.
And of course the symbiotic relationship between the haves and the legislators ( on any level--state or national) is as important as any other factors in keeping the status quo. -----You give me money to get elected--I give you votes for your benefit if in fact I get elected. Works quite well for a certain class of people.
The US has a growing body of over 800000 homeless people , and over 700 Americans die of hypothermia each year due to lack of proper housing facilities. Why Has the US Homeless Population Been Rising? | Econofact US homelessness hit record high in 2024 More Californians Are Freezing to Death. Experts Point to More Older Homeless People. - KFF Health News One of the things that I have been wondering about is why the richest country in the world maintains expensive military bases all around the world while lacking proper housing facilities for thousands of its own citizens, especially the elderly, residing in the country. I would say this is a failure of American citizens in not holding their government accountable and transparent in these and many such issues. A democracy means that each citizen should have a basic understanding of governance and how to govern effectively, and not just leaving it to the elected leaders and go to sleep.
Homelesness is a major issue in the UK as well with over 354000 homeless people in 2024. Homelessness in the United Kingdom - Wikipedia Thousands of deaths due to hypothermia are recorded in the UK due to homelesness or inability to maintain warm homes due to high fuel prices caused by inflation, as well as government callousness and apathy in providing for its vulnerable and elderly citizens. Important to bring accountability over here as well. Almost 5,000 excess deaths last winter caused by cold and damp homes Hypothermia cases soar by 82% in UK cold snap as thousands can't afford heating Thousands of people in the UK are dying from the cold, and fuel poverty is to blame | Owen Jones
What worries me is the fact that small children have died because of the mould in their homes. Some of the footage I have seen is appalling. It is beyond belief that in the 21st century people are living in worse than Dickensian housing!!!!
