SHEsaysWITHaSMILE.blogspot.com

WHO EXACTLY is problem solving for homelessness? asks (sandra! & robert!)

 Omar Passons,  Can you please reply and share with me (us, neighbors, friends, family, everyone who calls San Jose home)  WHO EXACTLY, is working to problem solve for homelessness..    according to your email:

******************************************************

posted by SANDRA HARRISON KAY @ 1:41 PM 0 comments

New Favorite for (sexy! & topps!)

posted by SANDRA HARRISON KAY @ 1:13 PM 0 comments

love is to politics as infinity is to laundry by (me!) ~topps

 WHAT'S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH POLITICS?

By LETTERS TO THE EDITOR |

October 5, 2022 at 4:00 p.m.

 Keep tiny homes out

of San Jose parks

Re. “Do tiny homes work?” Page A1, Sept. 25:

I vehemently oppose tiny homes for the homeless being built near any school, library, day care or nature reserves, and vehemently oppose tiny home sites being built at our parks.

So, guess what citizens of San Jose: Now the City Council isn’t quite sure which of our parks are charter parks.

It’s very important to consider why the San Jose City Council hesitates at all; why the City Council even has to debate or review which parks are parks, unless they are planning to use park land to push their failing tiny home agenda.

Every sign at every entrance to Penitencia Creek Reach 2 reads, “Welcome to your neighborhood park.” It’s served as a cherished park for generations, and yet they toy with us.

 It could take years to figure out whether it’s a charter park. We will not tolerate a long, drawn-out process.

Sandra Harrison Kay
San Jose

posted by SANDRA HARRISON KAY @ 12:45 PM 0 comments

Halloween Fest 2022

 

   

posted by SANDRA HARRISON KAY @ 4:04 PM 1 comments

Happy Halloween 2022 old pix in new Mag Time Frame by (me!) ~topps ~writeousmom

(me!) too..   'have i ever mentioned i innovated Mag Time Frames?  -first create-your-own magnetic home decor frames in the world...'     -fact check the archives     and sing along..

posted by SANDRA HARRISON KAY @ 2:28 PM 0 comments

CH -opens favorite earthquake memory for (me!) ~writeousmom

posted by SANDRA HARRISON KAY @ 12:58 PM 0 comments

of the government, by the government, for the government notices (me!) ~topps

      -so, i noticed, in a self-assess/good listener kind of way, that when i have longer conversations with, not just my husband, but friends/family..   if you were to create a check mark for each time these words were used

republican

liberal

democrat

everyone else i talk to uses those words in their discussions much more frequently than i do.   i can make entire points, share opinions, share observations, share experiences without using those labels.

in the past months, when i was reading about 'removal of political party identifiers' on ballots, for example..   i am only 100% for that.   like, i think we all need to be much more issue based and value-loyal,  vs. party affiliated.

but as i am currently in receipt of my ballot for upcoming elections,  -i am always aware of how much reading/research any given person would need to do in order to make a truly informed decision

and the amount of reading/research is quite unrealistic for the average working person and/or student; plus you often have intentionally manipulated paragraphs; you have more than one issue, (which you might support) mixed with two others (you oppose), but which requires one circle to be filled out; yes to all, or no to any.

so, i am issue based; and!  i believe all issues should be presented in a singular format; itemized for the voter.  no more some of this and a little of that..    adding on to the enormous amount of research/reading; the mandatory way this current system forces the voter to either ignore an important issue or falsely support a different issue because a mixture of values has been presented for one yes or no.

   -anyway, the point i almost forgot to make is this:  i am issue/value based; not party affiliated, but as i was reading my 3 page, front and back, ballot, with the accompanying books which are proposed to serve as more detailed guides

for the sake of time and energy and efficiency, it hit me (i am a late bloomer in every sense of the term); oh! now it makes sense..   vote for the party that is the best match for your values/beliefs..   this really does speed things up!   -so i understand it now...     

****

but! if i were queen, (which is not even a government style i support, but love the royalty reference);

we would move entirely away from our current party system and become singularly issue, value based.

the other thing i would dictate be done:   a standardized website template for all candidates running for anything.

i learned how helpful this would be during the recall of newsom.  -and i was among those who want him ousted; i am not a fan, 

but the point here is that..  40 something candidates were potential replacements..   and each candidate has their points/values/positions ideas    -somewhere....       

within their 10 or 50 page websites..

and how awesome it would be, if you clicked on this candidate, and there was a bullet point style 

issue/stance; click to read more

issue/stance; click to read more

all in the same order on each candidates page, so you could quickly easily compare and contrast..

it is ease we are all after, it is efficiency; it is factoring in time/energy; it is all about CONVENIENCE!

which is pretty much the exclusive reason for political parties to exist.

but how convenient would that be!?   

and so, based on that experience, and based on my direct experience with open forums at San Jose City Council..

with everything i've learned the pragmatic/practical way from being pulled into the political arena because of an underhanded 8-2 vote by city council to build tiny homes on a park! across from an elementary, daycare, library..  in our awesome neighborhood..

the upshot, is that over and over i realize,   currently, the way our system works is very much, 

of the government, by the government, for the government

but that is not what our founding fathers intended

what's on my heart, is investing time/energy getting us back to  of the people, by the people, for the people

and i have it in my heart/mind to work toward a set, predictable, accessible; consistent! time for open forums;  -removing the guess work (will it be in 2 hours? 6?)  -alleviating the numerous stresses and burdens currently on the people, who are sacrificing/volunteering their irreplaceable time to be seen and heard on issues that matter most to them.

  open forum as it is today is very much, of, by & for the government; we need it that fixed to

of, by & for the people!

now, i ask you:   how tall of an order is that?   on a challenge scale;  -how difficult is this:

open forums 

every 1st and 3rd tuesdays at 3pm.  1 1/2 hours alloted; first come, first serve; 2 minutes each.

every 2nd and 4th tuesdays at 7pm.  1 1/2 hours alloted; first come, first serve; 2 minutes each.

if there are no people who show up for an open forum; city council just continues on with their meeting.   if there are less people, than the 1 1/2 hour dedicated time slot; the city council just continues on with their meeting.   but if there are any people!  if there is just 1 person; if there are 10..

the meeting itself stops at 3pm, or 7pm, gives itself over to open forum,  -all council members present and respectfully pretending to listen.   

this just does not seem like a huge, awful, complex, crazy challenging thing to implement.  It seems very easy to implement and  -the people-   certainly deserve this opportunity and respect of their time and voices.

it would help guide us back toward a democracy vs. dictatorship.     -and if heard correctly among numerous conversations last night,  currently open forums are at the whim of the current council?

hideous.

open forums should be consistent regardless of who the council members are..   as the members come and go,  -open forums times/policies/procedures should remain consistent.

****

and so,  i was really smiling internally and externally, to see the group of people who attended the special meeting hosted last night by BCAC, giving us neighbors an opportunity to listen to our two mayor candidates (chavez/mahan) field questions which were submitted via email prior to the meeting, 12 to 15 questions chosen among who knows how many

and being a great listener; i regard this as one of my highest skill sets; my greatest strengths

and i could listen for an hour and a half, but my knees wont let me -sit- for an hour and a half, so..

after about an hour, i left the room to walk, stretch my legs, etc.

   -lots of script answers,  -to be expected.  and God bless them, because they do these Q&A sessions in who knows how many different neighborhoods; over and over...

each time, i imagine, improving their answers..  

in any case..

   -we were supporting mahan before the meeting; and we are still supporting mahan.   it is my guess, that is the case with 99.9% of the attendees.   -whoever you supported going in; you supported after the meeting too

i appreciate mahan wanting to employ the unemployed/homeless to help clean up San Jose.

          i ache to see San Jose cleaned up!       it was chavez that tossed out the statistic; just having a clean neighborhood reduces crime by 35%    (no fact checking; but we know the point is true...)

i am big fat favor of spending some money, time and resources in getting San Jose cleaned up!  -and as a very high priority!  it's its own problem solver on many fronts.

i also like mahan's discussion regarding the distribution of funds in the school system.  currently, very top heavy; administration getting the lion share..  no trickle down to the end user.    i would LOVE to see a transparent, bullet point, easy to read/easy to access; school by school, position by position; financial report..   the other thing i would LOVE to see, is the archive of ballots, measures, propositions, etc. which all ask for more money for our schools..   see the collection of funds received over the past 2 decades, and itemized results.

   -there is an agreement/consensus among 'the people'   -same with homeless, as with schools:

   -having the ongoing problem; the crisis, this becomes very lucrative..

solving the problem, or managing the problem, clogs the cash flow.     -if you look at all the 'one time' giant funding/grants for any given crisis.. you can clearly see the incentive/disincentives at work; and see how having a problem/crisis to solve is so financially rewarding that..     then you start to see people  -creating- problems and crises..

but i!    i imagine (because sometimes that is all you can do; imagine...) i imagine what San Jose would look like if we incentivized problem solving in a financial way..

    /these are the take aways...  voters want convenience ; open forum of/by/for the people; financially incentivize problem solving!   financially support and reward prevention!

***

the thing that makes me the most crazy, so to speak..   the City of San Jose; the candidates for mayor; the council members..

one track minds! when it comes to tiny homes.     IT IS RESEARCHABLEY FAILING.. but all we get to hear is tiny homes as a solution;   the cost and location might change, but.

no one is offering any kind of alternative.   way short-sighted and very narrow close minded when it comes to tiny homes

and i still use my imagination (because, i do have a very healthy and active imagination!) ; always visualizing a larger problem solving panel!     -this idea has to date, fallen on nothing but deaf ears..

another reason i love my blog..

like, did any of the questions i submitted for mayor candidates get asked?

well, 

here they are:  

 "Thank You!" BCAC for hosting this event!

Tiny Homes are a researchably failing trend. Costly. Dangerous. And do nothing to address homeless encampments.  Do you agree we need to create a new and larger problem solving panel, with more voices and a variety of disciplines contributing to a comprehensive solution?  And do you agree we need to start by employing a more specific vocabulary which addresses the different categories of homeless [healthy homeless/economic only; drug addicted; mentally ill; prematurely released inmates; freeloaders; etc.]

Do you agree San Jose should never build these densely populated caged tiny home sites near ANY schools, libraries, daycares, parks, nature reserves?

Tiny homes were falsely promoted as temporary 'bridge' housing with tenants moving into permanent subsidized housing within months.  Where is all this subsidized housing?  Why can't we fast track healthy homeless directly into permanent subsidized housing?

If raising rent 5% can place up to 2000 people on the streets, why don't we revisit and reestablish rent restrictions to a broader population? Do you agree smaller rent increases with more notice could be a way to proactively address our homelessness crisis? Why are we forcing them out, scrambling for what to do, spending millions on failing tiny homes, only to put them back in subsidized housing? 

What is your plan for when your plan attracts even more homeless?

Do you agree we can redirect funds currently slated for dangerous, non-productive tiny home sites, and put that money toward a hospital for the mentally ill?   -toward rehab centers for the drug addicted?

During the pandemic San Jose prematurely released countless inmates.  It is no surprise crime and homelessness increased.  What is your plan to combat this tragic pattern?

We have a severe police staffing crisis. San Jose is unable to retain and/or recruit qualified, upstanding law enforcement officers.  What is your plan to turn this tragic pattern around? 

Currently, working parents, individuals, students, have to go to great lengths, sacrificing their time, scheduling child care, scheduling elderly parent care, postpoing meals, leaving work early..  guessing whether or not and how long it might take to speak at open forums:  it could be 2 hours, 4 hours, 6 hours.. citizens are forced to guess how long it will be before they get to speak for just 60 seconds.  -Do you agree San Jose City Council Open Forums should be at a set, predictable, dedicated time? -alternating weeks, to provide both evening and day time accessibility?   Tues at 3pm, Tues 7pm, alternating.  A dedicated 1 1/2 hour set time slot.  If no one is there, council continues on..

We have heard about a graffiti hot line, but see graffiti in the same locations for months and years.  We see it escalating.  Do the people who respond to calls for graffiti removal do anything proactively?  Do they only respond to calls?  Do you agree it would be a great idea to proactively assign people to remove graffiti from entire neighborhoods? To (please!) take action without needing to be called.  It is everywhere!  Why should we even have to call?  Pick a street, pick a park...   

What is your greatest idea for elevating our city's status and improving the quality of life for people who call San Jose home, and how do you plan to implement it?

Do you agree we can employ our currently homeless/unemployed to help clean up the city?  -that providing a wage, a job,  and merit based subsidized housing can be a win/win?

What do you see as the number one reason someone should visit, live or work in San Jose? 

 *****

everyone visited outside after the meeting for a while..    talked politics, and just talked..

   -cant discuss homeless without discussing crime, cant discuss crime without discussing jail..

another thing making my mental mailbox full...

the painful truth of this:

               let's say you do the crime..   and you serve your time..    i have often described our current jail system as setting criminals up to fail again..     any criminal who walks out the jail door without a place to live, without a job, without a cent..    that is in fact a set up for failure.

so, people will discuss 'programs' to help inmates into civilian life..

well,   might i mention the other painful truth here:   the former inmate, (robert's nephew) who graduated from more than one anger management course, was released, and went on to violently murder his own mother.

having programs,  -which we have had and do currently..   it is not a new concept or idea at all

having program availability does not directly correlate with successful transitions from jail to civilian life.

so, the ability to assess inmate candidates who would benefit from, vs. the inmates who should in fact, just remain in jail for the safety of all   -the safety of all, being the highest priority

the ability to assess and discern this distinction..    much more important than the programs themselves.

   -but again...   the problem..  this need for programs.. (as if they have never and currently do not exist),   -a couple 'mascot' stories of success stories..   the problem itself becomes lucrative as a proposed solution..   without having to deliver results. 

******

boy does San Jose need some audits!   some public audits!    what is going on with all the current homeless services which were funded to 'solve'    -results?      are we continuing failing programs?  are we paying for all the services that currently exist PLUS paying to build failing tiny homes?

****

it is visually noticeable to me, how over the decades we moved away from self accountability and merit based culture, to a blame someone/something else, highly enabling culture 

the results are in.   and based on those results, we need to return, fast as we possibly can, to a 

personal responsibility; self accountability; merit based culture.  the return of values, work ethics, cleanliness, safety; respect; crime with consequences; integrity with reward. 

 ****

it worked!   mental mailbox; less full..

*****

i am aware 'researchabley' is not currently in the dictionary; but it should be.   where do i submit?

****

In Jesus name,   hallelujah & amen. 

posted by SANDRA HARRISON KAY @ 11:32 AM 0 comments

Warriors should fire draymond green by (me!) ~topps, authentic fan

Warriors should fire Draymond Green

I do not know that what I believe is a fact; but I sure do believe it.  And what I believe is this:

If Draymond knew in the back of his mind, that aggressively violently assaulting his teammate would result in his immediate termination from the Warriors; perhaps from the NBA,   -Something tells me that knowledge would directly impact his impulse control.   Amazing how consequences can contribute toward self control; and how financially inspired compassion leads toward condoning and escalating violence.  We can simultaneously forgive and fire Draymond; protect the culture of codes and respect for basketball coaches, players and fans for generations to come.   I pray we join in significantly lowering our tolerance for any and all violence.   -authentic fan

****

there is a lot of, 'that's just how it is...'

my dad said, he should absolutely not be fired, part of the game, they've already hugged, kissed and made up

and its been interesting for me personally to see and hear how differently people respond when i ask, 

   what if draymond had punched steph curry that way?              -pause-

some say then he would be fired..      consequences higher...     

and then how interesting that is, isnt it.    how it's no longer about the assault; the violence; the behavior

the moral of that way of thinking is:

choose your victims wisely. 

****

romans 12:2          2 corinthians 4:8-10      

in Jesus name,   amen. 

posted by SANDRA HARRISON KAY @ 3:11 PM 0 comments

I'm BLOCKED at San Jose City Council Chambers for Open Forum (me!) ~topps

when you attend a city council meeting for the purpose of speaking at the open forum,  -if there are several of you, they can and will, chop at will, your 2 minutes into 1 minute.

so you've only got 60 seconds to share some very crucial information

this requires a very serious editing skill set

and what i was light~heartedly sharing with my husband is this:

i can't do it.   i just can't do it..   if i only have 60 seconds to speak, i canNOT waste one half of one second on anything not productive, like, first formally addressing who it is i am obviously talking to

        mayor, council members..    NO!  i am too aware i just gave them some of my very limited and restricted time to communicate the already obvious   -we do not have one second to spare!

 i'm like internally blocked from doing that..

and definitely internally blocked from using the word honorable..

i cannot look into the faces of people who voted behind the communities back to place 100 bed homeless tiny home site on a park! on a water supply facility! across from an elementary school, library, daycare...

that word will not cross my lips!   plus, saying a 4 syllable word! i'm not giving up that time...

so, i've been to open forum 3 times now, i believe.   and all 3 times.. i just cut to the chase.

and i listen to my fellow protestors, and respect they have their own way, and style, and their own words, but when i hear them start by addressing the council in a formal way

when i hear them use the word honorable..

when i hear them apologize in word or tone or attitude

i re-realize;  i can't do that.  i'm blocked.

****

my criteria for open forum..  the proposition i'm going to learn about proposing; it keeps evolving.

so,  -open forum should, legally, permanently, have a predictable, scheduled, accessible, set time

   -no more of these hard working parents having to guess when/if they'll be able to speak for a few seconds; placing babysitters, family members, meals on perpetual unknown hold..  could be 2 hours, could be 4 hours, could be more..

no.  open forum is every week at 6:30pm until 8pm; first come, first serve.  if no one is present for open forum, the council meeting just continues as is..   if a few people are present for open forum, they get a few minutes, if lots of people are present for open forum,  yes, of course, cut time per person so the most amount of people can be heard.    -every other week, evening open forum/day time open forum rotating. 

my next criteria..   during open forums,

   realize:  city council members are being paid to be there; it is their profession; their job.

   citizens:  are not being paid; they are sacrificing/volunteering their very valuable, irretrievable time.

because this is true.  i further propose that it is mandatory for city council members to be present in their seats at the chambers when citizens who have sacrificed their valuable, irretrievable time, are speaking to them at these open forums.

what a disgrace! for any of them to leave into a different room..  

if we've given up our time; and you are being paid..  you had better be sitting front and center, and respectfully pretending to listen.

****

and, i'm new to all of this, as you know,  -a protestor friend was explaining to me, what i aim to do, requires a measure; not a proposition..     some distinction between local/city vs. state..

and that's been a whole 'nother education for us..    oh my goodness!   this is city, vs. this is county, vs. this is state..   this happens at the council level, this at the district level, -this is only with lawyers/judges and a lot of money..

what i wouldn't give for a very simplified flow chart! 

**************************************

The first time I showed up to the San Jose City Council Chambers, to protest having 100 bed tiny home homeless site built on Noble Ave in our Berryessa Neighborhood:  A tiny home site which would place a very dense population of people on top of a beloved neighborhood park, which also serves as a water supply facility and which also sits directly across the street from Noble Elementary School, The Berryessa Branch Library and a day care; and which also is very near Toyon Elementary, and just down the street from Piedmont Middle School..

The first time I showed up, I essentially said, during my 60 seconds   -I am not opposed to the idea of tiny homes, but I am vehemently opposed to Noble as a location for tiny homes.

And I’d like to share that since that time, I have indeed had a change of heart and mind.  After hours and hours of personal research, both online, and in person; having visited the current tiny home sites in San Jose, having talked with people who live and/or work near our currently built tiny home sites

Learning and knowing that a percentage of people who live in these tiny home sites will pander for food and money; and then realizing how quickly a school campus might find panderers in their cafeterias, restrooms, on campus in general..

Having also researched the status of tiny home locations in other cities and states where there has been an increase in violence, fires, crimes and the attraction of even more homeless; and homeless encampments; not to mention garbage, blight.

I am now entirely opposed to the idea too; opposed to the building of tiny home sites at any location.

The results are already in; anyone can do their own research and I would encourage you to see the tiny home sites for yourself, but please don’t stop there.  Interview people who live and work in the neighborhoods.    The San Jose Government website offers overwhelming amounts of propaganda; and the photography and slide shows of tiny homes are much like glossy travel brochures which promise paradise but deliver a joke.  There are a few success stories, which speak about someone transitioning from a tiny home to subsidized housing, yes; but without any mention of the cost.  If you spend 15 million to build.. 3 million to maintain annually, if you destroy a neighborhood, a park, if you put children, teachers at risk, and overwhelm parents with chronic worry and concern  -Even those few success stories are deceiving; that is not a real success.

The counter argument, is that the people who are placed in tiny homes near schools, are ‘safe.’  Mothers, children, elderly.  This leaves me with a number of questions:  If they are safe and able; why can’t we fast track them into the subsidized housing for which they are destined? How much subsidize housing do we have available now? What is going on today with the enormous amount of services already available to our homeless?  Please research homeless services in San Jose, California.  Of our population of homeless; how many fall in the ‘safe’ homeless category vs. the population of drug addicted; mentally ill; premature released inmates? Free loaders? -Because, in order to restore San Jose to its former glory; it is the ‘unsafe’ homeless population we’d all like to see relocated away from our parks, schools, restaurants, small and large businesses & neighborhoods,  and tiny homes do NOTHING to address the ‘unsafe’ population of homeless.

The ’ambitious’ goal per San Jose City Council is to create tiny homes for 1000 ‘safe’ currently homeless.  I think a better investment of time, energy, financial and human resources, would be to locate 1000 opportunities for permanent housing.  Many people in San Jose, and there are some one million+ of us, have a room to rent, many people could use help with their rent or mortgage by having a roommate(s).  But who wants to invite in a total stranger from an online matching service.  What if San Jose provided a list of ‘safe’  -fully vetted candidates and matched them with people who have a room to rent.

The tiny home sites, currently identified as ‘temporary’   -a bridge into subsidized housing; these densely populated caged sites look potentially like the creation of a new class:  A tiny class.  Spreading more and more, but with less and less people transiting out, while more and more land, and more and more neighborhoods and parks are encroached upon. And with no plan for when the tiny home plan attracts even more homeless.  I do love what one woman had to say at a City Council Open Forum “do you want Silicon Valley to become Tiny Valley?   Do you want the Golden State to become the Tiny State?”

I ache with the knowledge that San Jose is in a rare and fantastic position to LEAD! and NOT FOLLOW the tiny home trend which is researchably failing here and in other cities and states.  We are in a unique but finite window of time, which, if acknowledged and used wisely can provide a NEW comprehensive solution for homelessness; addressing both the ‘safe’ and ‘unsafe’ populations.  

I ache with the desire to see a new panel of problem solvers; a larger panel, with much more diversity of voices and disciplines, who will start with an improved vocabulary, [ STOP using the vague, umbrella term ‘unhoused’ to describe several different categories of populations which each need different solutions] and end with a comprehensive solution where the most amount of people possible thrive.   We need to crowd source for intelligent problem solvers.  There are great ideas being discussed now, on college campuses, in coffee houses, over dinners with friends, in pubs, in passing..   people with a heart and mind for addressing the homelessness crisis.  Those ideas need to be shared publicly; they need a platform where we can discuss and identify the pros and cons..

We cannot let the problem be solved exclusively by people/entities who stand to gain financially or who gain power and position.  We need more seats; more voices; at the problem solving table.   

LEAD San Jose! Do not follow a failing trend.  DO NOT remain on the tiny valley, tiny state path just because you are there now.  Quality Assurance check here and now; slow it all down; cut your losses; change paths and direction: create a new, larger, problem solving panel and solve for homelessness where the absolute most amount of people thrive.  Create a template for other cities and states to emulate for true success.  

Sandra Harrison Kay, literary and mixed media artist

WriteousMom.com   Published author, poet & playwright

NOTonNOBLE.blogspot.com

posted by SANDRA HARRISON KAY @ 11:00 AM 0 comments

subsidize here and now; do not force out, then scramble, then work to find subsidize housing

 -posted in comment section of san jose spotlight article:  san jose rent hike could push out tenants

*****

As someone with a lot of experience renting, a lot of experience living paycheck to paycheck, and a lot of experience with being forced to move; I ache to read about this rent hike; and can easily see the terrible consequences the low income renters (individuals, couples, parents, children, grandparents) will have to face.

But those terrible consequences are not exclusive to the people forced to move; those consequences impact everyone who calls San Jose home.

As someone with fresh and new experience researching, studying, learning about the homelessness crisis in general, and as a leading member of NOTonNOBLE;  vehemently opposing tiny homes being built near ANY school, library, daycare, park or nature reserve

I am inspired to slow down here and take a deeper look at what is contributing to the crisis and what can, realistically, be done. 

I want to discuss exclusively, low income citizens; people who are healthy, who are working and contributing, living hand to mouth, so to speak, paycheck to paycheck,  -the people for whom a rent increase will force a move  -to a different location; to the streets..

When you are already facing a homelessness crisis; why on earth would you contribute even more to it?

This failing tiny home trend started as a result of this very crisis.  I asked then, and ask again now:  Doesn’t it make much more sense to exercise rent control policies, than to force another population of human beings on to the streets, and then scramble for what to do with them?  And then try and solve by spending millions upon millions building these densely populated caged tiny home sites;  -that no one wants or trusts, that are researchably failing in cities/states across the U.S.,  and that encroach incrementally upon very precious and sacred land space.

Rent increases are the most counterproductive thing we could possibly do during this crisis.  And if we are going to do something  -temporarily; to address the crisis, I highly recommend you take the millions you would use to build densely populated caged tiny home sites, and instead   -subsidize the rent for these tenants.

Now, I hope everyone realizes, this can’t remain a practice.   If every time rent increases, and low income people are no longer able to afford their rent;  of course law abiding, hard working, tax payers are not suddenly and permanently responsible for picking up the slack.   That results in an entirely different disaster.

And I hope everyone realizes, ‘rent control’  or ‘rent restrictions’ are not synonymous with never increasing rent.  Of course rent will increase; of course the people who own, invest in and rent property have their own bills/financial responsibilities; they also have to respond to inflation, higher taxes, etc.

But, from everything I’ve read and researched so far,  -smaller rent increases, with greater notice to the tenants would help significantly in addressing our homelessness crisis.  And a halt on any increase during this time of crisis, is highly suggested.

And from everything I’ve read and researched so far, the destiny for tiny home tenants is to move them into subsidized housing.   Why wouldn’t we just subsidize here and now vs. force them out, pay millions, encroach on land space, only to land them back into a subsidized situation?

Especially where we have low-income (vs. no income), working, contributing, citizens, with a track record of paying rent; but unable to afford an increase..   -Let’s do everything we can to help them remain in the place they currently call home.

posted by SANDRA HARRISON KAY @ 9:10 AM 0 comments

(threelives.com!) (amor towles!) #imwildlygrateful #ilovemyhusband

posted by SANDRA HARRISON KAY @ 10:50 AM 0 comments