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FaustusC t1_j7v20r6 wrote

Reply to comment by nowhereman1223 in Want passenger rail in Manchester? Make your voice heard by PurpleSubtlePlan

We don't have enough fucking affordable housing as it is, allowing people to flee here for (what used to be) lower cost of living isn't going to help.

If we can't house the people in the state now, is an infrastructure project that doesn't really benefit us by providing an employment base and taxes to Assachusetts really seem like a fuckin' priority?

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nowhereman1223 t1_j7v4rk3 wrote

Do you understand that having affordable transportation to places like Boston would bring the people we want and need that would demand affordable housing in metro areas?

The employment base and taxes aren't here now. What do you propose to bring them here? You know what would do it? Affordable transportation to metro areas.

Set up the commuter rail, let people work in Boston, live in Manchester. Those folks take over all the expensive apartments and condos being built. Those folks go out to eat, shop, entertain, utilize services etc IN NH. Those services need people to work at them. Those people need places to live. Affordable housing is then built for those people. Right now there isn't enough demand OVERALL for the lower priced housing. Sure everyone complains that housing is too expensive. What do they do? They leave. Because not only is there not enough housing, there aren't enough decent jobs available either.

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-cochise t1_j7vh42s wrote

Wait, I’m opposed to this bill, but is your proposition that if we could roll the right kind of people here on a train, we’d get more housing out of it?

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nowhereman1223 t1_j7vyrju wrote

My proposition is that these things are substantially more complex and wont be solved overnight.

My theory is that bringing more people in to fill the current housing (with prices that will not be reduced without govt intervention no matter how much we wish for it) those people will need more services that will pay more and may result in a profitable need for additional housing on the lower end.

It's not a guarantee. I can promise that blocking progress and shutting down connections and mass transit that the rest of the world uses is the opposite of a solution.

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-cochise t1_j7y0sel wrote

But the housing is filled already. Like nearly all of it. Statewide vacancy is like sub 1%. This whole line of reasoning is nonsensical.

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FaustusC t1_j7v7sey wrote

lmfao WHO WANTS AND NEEDS THEM? People who don't like or care about the way of life here and want to make New Hampshire like whatever congested shithole they're fleeing?

Manchester is it's own Metro area, dipshit. Connecting it to a larger one with more competition isn't going to improve conditions here, it's going to improve them for whoever we take the slack from.

Congratulations, you don't get it. That's what's already happening and yet, we're still not building affordable housing. Rents up the Coast of New Hampshire have sky rocketed the past two years to Boston rates. Manchester is getting there unless you want to live with either cockroaches, drugs or robbery. NO ONE IS BUILDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND TAKING AWAY THE HOUSING HERE FOR NEW PEOPLE WON'T MAGIC NEW HOUSING INTO EXISTENCE.

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nowhereman1223 t1_j7vu29t wrote

What is your proposal to fix the problem?

The housing market is profit driven, the companies have found little to no profit in low income and affordable housing. So they stopped providing it and raised rents etc.

Do you propose the Govt mandate, regulate, and subsidize housing to ensure people can get in to affordable housing?

If you don't want that, how should it be done?

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Dramatic_Mechanic815 t1_j7x2tbu wrote

Wealth brings investment (such as new housing…), tax revenue, etc. If people could affordably commute to Boston for higher wages, it would bring prosperity to Manchester, too. Simple economics. Have you tried to find a high wage “white collar” job in NH? Good luck. The few “job creators” that have made the news here in NH have been warehouses and distribution centers. Not exactly high wage.

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SheeEttin t1_j7v7z1n wrote

Maybe we should improve transit and housing.

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FaustusC t1_j7vafg0 wrote

Maybe we should improve housing first ffs.

Making it so residents have basic shelter should be a much fucking higher priority than, idk, making sure Dipshit McGee doesn't have two dwive an hour for work :((((((

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nowhereman1223 t1_j7vt78r wrote

Housing will get improved when there is profit to it. Right now there isn't.

Unless you want the government to pay for, regulate and subsidize low income housing?

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Parzival_1775 t1_j7wiwqy wrote

That's exactly what needs to happen. The profit motive is inherently unsuited to providing affordable housing, because it is always more profitable to build mcmansions and luxury apartments. The actual incremental cost in building such homes is negligible, resulting in a much higher profit margin.

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Dramatic_Mechanic815 t1_j7x3td3 wrote

You’re correct in some respects. This is usually when the government should step in to help make building affordable housing attractive and profitable, usually through tax breaks or subsidies. Unfortunately, Manchester isn’t exactly swimming in cash and neither is the state. And good luck proposing subsidies for affordable home housing with the diehard Live Free or Die-ers here. I’ve never seen a state try so hard to stay poor and starve its government.

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Reubachi t1_j7zyjwv wrote

Yes. Population growth drives economic stimulus and new residential housing.

There is currently a housing crisis for the reverse of this. Why build new residential if there’s no way to get to work? (Boston or manch via rail)

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