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Affordable Housing Advocates Rally at McClellan AFB
Drawing attention to the housing crisis, more than 70 demonstrators marched at the former McClellan AFB.
MARCHING TO SOLUTIONS
McClellan housing would help greatly to alleviate Sacramento County's homeless problem.
by Douglas Anderson
Drawing attention to the housing crisis, more than 70 demonstrators marched at the former McClellan Air Force Base to draw attention to the dispute over the property for affordable housing.
This public action was delayed as long as possible to give the County a chance for constructive action. But, thus far, the County has not responded to alternative proposals, mediation requests, or even informational inquiries. This action hoped to persuade the County to fulfill its promise to utilize facilities at McClellan Air Force Base (including McClellan Inn) to alleviate homelessness in Sacramento County.
Arlene Krause, Executive Director of the Sacramento Housing Alliance, the organization spear-heading the march, called on the County to address the needs of the growing homeless population in Sacramento by providing housing at McClellan.
"I read in the paper today that rents are over $800 a month in Sacramento. Who here can afford that?" she said. The rally participates overwhelmingly responded in the negative.
Sacramento County has thus far refused to release the available housing at McClellan AFB which they commited to providing at the beginning of this base conversion, claiming that they have fulfilled their legal obligation by providing 1% of their surplus land to homeless assistance.
According to the McKinny Act, a Federal Law on military base conversion, the needs of the homeless are to be balanced with economic development when planning for reuse of closed military bases.
Across the nation, government cutbacks on construction, maintenance, and subsidies for low-income housing, combined with the booming economy's overheated real-estate market, have created what many experts are calling an affordable housing crisis. And now, Sacramento County finds itself on the defensive in an escalating battle for property for homeless assistance. In this county alone, Sacramento has lost 1,871 units of affordable housing, not including the 118 unit hotel promised in the base conversion process. In 2000, the number of homeless women was up by 15% from the previous year, and the number of homeless children was up 33%, causing a substantial increase in the number of women and children now living on the streets.
Cutbacks in subsidized housing and the strong economy have also created a housing squeeze here over the past year. Rents in Sacramento rose 12% from last year - the average rent climbed $83 to a record $770 per month. How is a poor or homeless individual or family supposed to provide themselves with shelter in a society with such high rent? Along with food, shelter is perhaps the most basic human need.
For more information or ways to get involved, please call the Sacramento Housing Alliance at 442-1198 or 446-2541 or sha [at] tomatoweb.com
McClellan housing would help greatly to alleviate Sacramento County's homeless problem.
by Douglas Anderson
Drawing attention to the housing crisis, more than 70 demonstrators marched at the former McClellan Air Force Base to draw attention to the dispute over the property for affordable housing.
This public action was delayed as long as possible to give the County a chance for constructive action. But, thus far, the County has not responded to alternative proposals, mediation requests, or even informational inquiries. This action hoped to persuade the County to fulfill its promise to utilize facilities at McClellan Air Force Base (including McClellan Inn) to alleviate homelessness in Sacramento County.
Arlene Krause, Executive Director of the Sacramento Housing Alliance, the organization spear-heading the march, called on the County to address the needs of the growing homeless population in Sacramento by providing housing at McClellan.
"I read in the paper today that rents are over $800 a month in Sacramento. Who here can afford that?" she said. The rally participates overwhelmingly responded in the negative.
Sacramento County has thus far refused to release the available housing at McClellan AFB which they commited to providing at the beginning of this base conversion, claiming that they have fulfilled their legal obligation by providing 1% of their surplus land to homeless assistance.
According to the McKinny Act, a Federal Law on military base conversion, the needs of the homeless are to be balanced with economic development when planning for reuse of closed military bases.
Across the nation, government cutbacks on construction, maintenance, and subsidies for low-income housing, combined with the booming economy's overheated real-estate market, have created what many experts are calling an affordable housing crisis. And now, Sacramento County finds itself on the defensive in an escalating battle for property for homeless assistance. In this county alone, Sacramento has lost 1,871 units of affordable housing, not including the 118 unit hotel promised in the base conversion process. In 2000, the number of homeless women was up by 15% from the previous year, and the number of homeless children was up 33%, causing a substantial increase in the number of women and children now living on the streets.
Cutbacks in subsidized housing and the strong economy have also created a housing squeeze here over the past year. Rents in Sacramento rose 12% from last year - the average rent climbed $83 to a record $770 per month. How is a poor or homeless individual or family supposed to provide themselves with shelter in a society with such high rent? Along with food, shelter is perhaps the most basic human need.
For more information or ways to get involved, please call the Sacramento Housing Alliance at 442-1198 or 446-2541 or sha [at] tomatoweb.com
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> provide themselves with shelter in a society with such
> high rent? Along with food, shelter is perhaps the most
> basic human need.
Suppose I chose to live at the south pole, or at the bottom of the ocean, or on the moon. Inhospitable climes, to say the least. My "basic human needs" would come at quite a price. If I could not afford this, should I cry to the state to support me? Or should I move to an area where I am better able to support myself?
You'll argue that no one lives in these places, but people do live in expensive areas like SF and Sacramento. And yes, they do - people with skills which are in high enough demand that they can trade them for enough money to live in these areas. These people are self-sufficient.
I couldn't meet my "basic human needs" if I tried to live in Blackhawk with its Ferrarris and $10M castles. So I don't. It's a luxury I cannot afford. If SF and Sacramento are a luxury you can't afford, move to Fresno and quit telling the rest of us how we're obligated to support your ass.
You're not progressive, and you're certainly not liberal considering your contempt for the principle of liberty. You're just irresponsible, and looking for a free lunch.
*Sj
insensitive bastard
If you want the right to stay unconditionally, then unconditionally buy the house you live in. If you're only renting, then you have no rights beyond the rental agreement because it's not your property.
Cant afford it because other people are willing to pay more than you? That sucks, but that's life. Complain to the seller. Don't put down roots where the soil can get washed away.
Your "larger context" is a smokescreen; the end (general prosperity) does not justify the means (the violation of private property rights, a fundamental principle of liberty).
Corporate welfare sucks. Individual welfare sucks. It's all just theft and money laundering, by thieves who don't even have the decency to do their own dirty work.
Now the abandoned air force base, that's another matter. They ought to sell it, and give the money back to taxpayers in proportion to the amount each person was taxed. And the homeless can turn to the usual charities, or move to Fresno where a nice apartment is only $400. Or move to the midwest or deep south, it gets even cheaper. What, want to stay in the wealthy, comfortable, lovely Bay Area with your friends and family? Sorry, that's a *LUXURY* you can't seem to afford.
Don't like libertarians? No, I guess you don't. Socialists hate the concept of individual liberty, it leaves them with no one to exploit. Cops hate it for the same reason. Funny, that.
If you're so concerned with the displacement of the impoverished and unable-to-compete, there's several thousand Native American Indians who would be happy to see you put your money where your mouth is and leave so that they can move back in. You think the dot.com boom was bad? The California Gold Rush was far worse for them, because here you are today.
Hypocrite.
*Sj
insensitive bastard
just because someone is monetarily "prosperous" within this system, that shouldn't give them the right to displace someone else from their home. housing isn't just a right for those with money, it is a basic human right for everyone.
> under. people should not own property if they are
> not living on it. actually, i'm not sure i think people
> should own property at all.
The old Native American philosophy that no one can own the earth. I have to admit, it has compelling arguments against which I as of yet still have grave trouble trying to dispute.
However, continuing on the presumption that land ownership can be ethically correct..
> just because someone is monetarily "prosperous" within
> this system, that shouldn't give them the right to
> displace someone else from their home.
Just because someone is monetarily disadvantaged within the system, that shouldn't give him the right to take from others like a common thief by virtue of building his home on someone else's rightfully owned land.
> housing isn't just a right for those with money, it is a
> basic human right for everyone.
Housing isn't a right for anyone, it's a priviledge for those who are capable of providing for themselves.
You have the rights to that with which you entered this world - your mind, body, and soul. Everything else, you have to earn from those who got here before you.
*Sj