Unaffordable housing and good government: The Union

by Tom Durkin

There is no such thing as affordable housing.

Without government subsidies, the people living in “affordable” housing couldn’t afford to live there.

And when there isn’t enough subsidized housing, many people become homeless.

Capitalism can’t solve this dual homeless and housing crisis because capitalism is the cause of the crisis.

Socialism could solve the problem, but capitalism trumps socialism in this country. And as long as government doesn’t have the political will, and free enterprise won’t share the wealth, demand will continue to exceed the supply.   

People’s lives will continue to be ruined by the experience of homelessness. When you’re homeless, it’s extremely hard to get job, keep a job, go to school … raise a family.

While it’s true many folks became homeless because of addiction and/or mental disorders, more than a few became addicted and/or psychologically damaged because of becoming homeless.

Depression, anxiety and paranoia might be considered mental health problems in everyday life, but, they are normal responses to the grim, stressful and dangerous (especially if you’re a woman) reality of being homeless.

Alt housing first

Government and the free market have failed us.

Nevertheless, not everybody who is shut out of the legal housing market ends up living under a bridge. We find desperation (illegal) housing, also known as alternative dwelling units (AltDUs).

An AltDU can be anything habitable, but most commonly they are trailers, RVs, tiny homes, yurts, shipping containers and other better-than-under-a-bridge accommodations.

We find these places because everybody has a human right to housing, and everyone has the human right to offer it.

It’s called taking care of each other.

It’s all about “Housing for the people by the people,” which is the motto of the Sierra Roots/No Place to Go Project (SR/NPTGP).

We believe the people who are locked out of the legal housing market because we can’t afford or find housing must have the right to acquire whatever housing we can find. Moreover, we should not be punished or treated like criminals when we have no other option.

Likewise, property owners who offer us housing must not be fined or penalized. Some do it out of a sense of moral obligation. Others do it out of a need to supplement their income. Either way, landlords who are providing safe, affordable housing, must not be punished for filling a desperate human need that government and industry have failed to provide.

As successfully argued in the lawsuit of Martin v. Boise, arresting or fining people for camping on public land when they have no other option is a violation of the U.S Constitution’s Eighth Amendment against cruel and unusual punishment.

It does not take a great leap of imagination to see how the legal precedent of Martin v. Boise could be applied to the forced relocation of tenants in alternative housing. When the enforcing government agency can’t offer someplace equal to or better than where tenants already are, the obligation is to protect – not evict – tenants where they already are.

Truth to power

For more than five years, I’ve been speaking truth to the powers that be in Nevada County about alternative housing for our low-income workforce population as well as safe camps for chronically homeless people.

Last year, the county started listening. Thanks to the leadership of Supervisor Ed Scofield and County Chief Executive Officer Alison Lehman, the other supervisors and county staff have given us their full attention and consideration.

As of this writing, the Nevada County Board of Supervisors is holding its annual goals-setting workshop at the Gold Miners Inn in Grass Valley

Anyone who thinks supervisors and staff have cushy jobs should attend this intense, three-day marathon examining every aspect of county government.

We at the Sierra Roots/No Place to Go Project are very pleased that the supervisors are considering our ideas on alternative housing. We are also happy that they are examining Nevada County Home Path’s efforts to create transitional shelters for homeless people, especially for youth, women and families.

We are under no illusions that the supervisors will accept and adopt all our ideas on homelessness and alternative housing. Nevertheless, we know from our deep conversations with each of the supervisors and the county department heads that these issues are of the highest priority to them.

Over these past five years, I’ve learned that offering solutions instead of complaints is how to work with government. Being respectful and civil is far more effective than being obnoxious, loud and disruptive.

As the supervisors work through everything on their massive, three-day agenda this week, we can only watch and hope they will do the right thing – I think they will. I may not agree with all of their decisions, but they must make their decisions within the context of everything.

I’m just happy that homelessness and alternative housing are part of the context. We at the Sierra Roots/No Place to Go Project stand ready to do our part to make Nevada County a leader and role model in good government in rural California.

Tom Durkin is creative director of the Sierra Roots/No Place to Go Project, which is funded by a grant from the Upstate California Creative Corps. He may be contacted at tomdurkin@sierra-roots.org or www.project.sierra-roots.org. © Sierra Roots 2023