Re: Money Grubbing Jerks - Posted by Sean
Posted by Sean on November 13, 2003 at 15:09:05:
Kate,
There is an unfortunatley truth to capitalist societies, that being those at the lowest rungs do have the hardest times, from a philosophical and economical perspective.
The less you make the more as a percentage of it you will have to spend on neccessities, food, shelter etc. And generally those who make the least, have the least amount of education and experience (worldly) to pull from, putting them at a further disadvantage.
Now combine this with an artificial floor in the housing industry created by Section 8 and other assistance programs and you don’t really have true free market economics going on. There is no real downward pressure on the low end in most modest markets, because if Sec 8 is going to pay 300 for a 1 bedroom, and nearly all places have sec 8 shortages, 300 is going to be the lowest you are going to find a 1 bed, period. Even though you as working poor not on assistance may be willing and able to pay $250… you likely won’t find it.
Its not a coincidence that the difference in rents in the bad areas in most cities isn’t that much less than it is in the nicer areas… and its not simply a matter of “true market” forces.
The same is true in food, if food purchases are subisidized for the poorest say with food stamps or otherwise, who can claim that true market forces exist to keep prices in check? IF you think a loaf of bread is only worth .50 and not $1.50 doesn’t matter, because uncle sams subsidizing the rest of the poor to the $1.50 price… so downward pressure is minimized.
So housing is one area, where frankly, being in the lower end of the economic ladder is definately a place you will get short end of shaft vs those higher up.
Now this does not mean that mobile homes are evil, or parks are evil or anything like that. Mobiles are part of the housing industry like anything else and they serve a market and a need like anything else.
Lot rents are going to go up every year, almost guaranteed, just like rents go up on homes every year… and yes, generally, we landlords do raise our rates even if our underlying costs don’t go up yearly if the market allows it, which it generally does. Do I think lot rents in places are rediculous? In some places yes I do, but that’s what the park owner can get for it, so be it.
I don’t begrudge park owners making their buck, lord knows I wouldn’t want their jobs… and no denying some of them are the MH equivalent of slumlords. but they aren’t all out to getcha… and at the end of the day, voting with ones feet is always an option if you can find someplace better, or cheaper.