Columns from The Union 07/1999

Affordable Housing: Don't Make Me Laugh
Published Saturday, July 10, 1999

Let's play a cruel joke on young people, newly-married couples, and older folks. We'll tell them that there's affordable housing in Nevada County. Of course, we're lying. There isn't any.

There are no houses that meet the needs of first-time buyers or those looking for their final homes. This hurts our kids, new arrivals to the county, old people, and stifles the prosperity of the entire community.

No housing?

I'm not talking about recycling used houses on Packard Drive. I've shopped for these houses. I've seen creaky old houses with purple carpets and orange linoleum. No thanks. How about new houses instead?

I'm not talking about Housing for the Rich and Rural. That was already featured in The Union. There's no problem finding $450,000 semi-custom homes for retirees who cashed out of their homes in Newport Beach's Back Bay and came up here with a suitcase full of $100 bills.

I'm not talking about "sweat equity" housing or "low income" housing. Essential as this type of housing is, I've seen its penalties. In my business, I've talked with people who GAVE UP THEIR JOBS so they could get into low-income developments. What on earth is right about that? There are too many personal penalties for the buyers and these developments always seem to offend their neighbors (on the assumption that low-income buyers are some sort of trailer park trash).

What I am talking about is "starter" and "final" homes. But they are not there. Except for one development in Grass Valley, they don't exist. One development! I hope that development goes forward, but it will have a rocky road to travel, because there are so many interests who are willing to kill it to serve their fat, greedy selves.

Incidentally, "affordable" housing isn't so affordable anymore. My guess is that "affordable" used to be a new $99,000 home. I fear the same home is now "affordable" at $160,000, and if we delay encouraging new housing, prices will increase. That "affordable" home is getting relatively hard to buy.

My calculations show that it takes about five burger-flipping minimum wage employees to buy a house together, if they don't pay for food, taxes, or living expenses. Of course, they have no down payment, either. And a $160,000 home takes a $32,000 down!

Chew on this. Not one deputy sheriff, someone sworn to protect your life, can buy a decent new home in Nevada County. They don't make enough money and the houses aren't there.

So what's wrong?

In the column next door, I have no doubt that my friend Scott is going on about "the economy will dictate affordable housing." That absolutely doesn't work. Scott forgets about government stupidity and corporate greed. Here are the reasons the economy won't dictate anything:

County government is useless. By now it should be apparent that the Board of Supervisors is incapable of vision. As a result, they cannot produce or fix zoning and let it work. They can't get housing done. At least the City of Grass Valley has some sense.

The Rural Quality Coalition (AKA Rural Vanity Coalition) serves as the county's deal-killing thugs. They call for master planning, but produce no master plans. By now, most people recognize how diseased this organization has become. Fortunately, they will eventually wither due to incompetence.

There are too many Backwater Bubbas who oppose everything. No, not you. Your neighbor from the Bay Area.

Private enterprise (despite Scott's beliefs) is not the friend of the homebuyer. Getting a loan traditionally requires three things: a) credit (including, including low indebtedness ratio, b) down payment (which nobody has), and c) income. If you don't have those, you don't get to play. And you can be sure a bank doesn't give a rat's gluteus maximus about the needs of individuals or the community as a whole.

Ultimately, there are NO houses. For the reasons stated above, you can't find a decent new development in which to buy a home.

You know, I grew up in a house funded by the GI bill. It gave my dad (a dustbowl Oakie) a stake in America. A decent home gave me a chance to be part of the prosperity we know today. Can't we create something just as good as the GI bill before we reach the new century?

Barry Schoenborn is a technical writer, and an eleven-year resident of Nevada County. You can write to him at barry@wvswrite.com. The opinions of columnists are not necessarily those of The Union.

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