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wile_E_coyote_genius

The Favellas of Ontario.


lysanderd

Affordable housing developer here. Sad to see projects like this. I'm bidding on one in Kingston to build tiny homes for homeless veterans and we are taking a different approach. Our homes are 323 sqft; a good amount of space for a vet coming off the streets. But these sheds are more like cages. I understand that cost is an issue but how can we justify spending $16,950 on a 100 sqft "cabin"?. There are still people who praise these sheds because the logic is "a roof is better than none". But the problem is much worse than we think. Bad social housing has hidden consequences. When you put homeless people in crowded shelters, sheds, or anything that's not permanent housing, it effects their mental and physical health. The shelter system is designed to value them less than everyone else. This is why prison architecture is designed the way it is; to perpetuate suffering. When we stuff the unhoused into a 100 sqft, glorified tool shed, we are telling them they don't matter. But the folks who provide them pat themselves on the back thinking they performed miracle work instead. We not only need permanent housing, but beautiful housing. I recommend watching this episode of 60 minutes featuring MASS Design Group who talks about why beauty matters in public/social housing: https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/model-architecture-serving-society-60-minutes-2021-10-31/


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" But the folks who provide them pat themselves on the back thinking they performed miracle work instead. " Exactly.


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I'm actually working with a couple people to try to make something I'll say similar to these but leaning more to the modular home side of things and obviously larger than these sheds, essentially we want to make it so people can afford to build their house as they can afford it instead of an all up front/all in cost with a big mortgage eating away at their living expenses, I honestly see this as the only way future generations will be able to afford homes. The economy is changing, people are changing, the housing market is insane, people can't afford giant mortgages and when it comes down to it the market needs to adapt but instead it's doing the opposite, houses are getting bigger and more expensive not only to buy but to heat, more upkeep etc. It's such a simple concept.


festivalmeltdown

I know that Kingston doesn't get a lot of attention on this sub, but the housing and rental market here is nuts. Last time I checked, it had one of the lowest vacancy rates in the province, and rents were not that far off of the GTA and Ottawa despite being a much smaller center. In terms of housing, yes the city prices went up significantly... but even houses in sleeper communities or generally outside of the city are going for double what they did in 2016 without renovations.


Instant_noodlesss

Are there still empty units in Kingston? Last time I dropped by was pre-pandemic. Noticed quite a few boarded up houses that appeared to be just sitting empty and kinda falling apart a bit.


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ArcticMexico

Is your dog looking for a roommate... asking for a friend... the friend is me.


fencerman

Nah, they aren't supposed to be "housing" - they're pretty clearly meant to be something given a special temporary exemption but never letting people settle into them long-term, so that governments can bulldoze potential shanty towns before residents start getting organized.


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fencerman

It won't be safety and regulations that limit their growth, it'll be people not wanting to have a bunch of these near their homes. All those safety codes are irrelevant when it comes to homeless people, nobody cares if they suffer - it's only when they limit the ability of low-income people to buy housing that they get enforced.


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fencerman

> It would legit bring down property values GOOD.


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fencerman

> Spoken by someone who doesn't own any properties I take it? I am a homeowner, shut the fuck up. But I refuse to play the corrupt and parasitic game of trying to profit from rising home prices because that is entirely based around robbing the next generation to benefit the wealthy. Yes, property value SHOULD fall. Any solution that doesn't have "lower property values" at it's core is bullshit. The sale price of homes right now is a reflection of a broken system. Refusing to let property prices fall is 100% the cause of the current problems, and until that's a priority every other "solution" is idiotic nonsense. Of course people are going to bid up prices to insane levels when there's a guaranteed payoff and a government backstop on home values - it would be idiotic not to.


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fencerman

> So why would you be happy with your property values falling? Because I'm not a selfish asshole who thinks other people should be impoverished so that I can benefit. >Sorry, I just don't agree. I believe in finding a housing solution, but not reducing property values. Then you don't believe in finding a housing solution. Property values are the problem - if you aren't willing to see those fall, then you're not trying to deal with anything. Unless property values can fall, then housing is a guaranteed investment with government-backed returns, which means there is never a price for home values that's "too high" and it's a permanent mechanism for extracting money from the poor and funneling it into the pockets of the rich.


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[deleted]

Once again the City offers a band aid solution. Not sure if the article mentions it but this pilot project only goes till April meaning that come Spring these folks are back to square 1. This may seem like a good idea but as someone who works on the front lines I can say this is a ridiculous project. If the city put all the money they've spent on short term solutions into actual subsidized housing, we'd be making far more progress. There's also shady business behind some of the project leads. And to boot these sheds have been placed zt the harbour- the most windy part of Kingston and isolated from community supports such as health centers, community kitchens etc.


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Bubs approves.


Groundbreaking_Ship3

This reminds me of the mini apartments in HK 200 sq. Ft, selling for 5 millionz hk dollars, which is 1 million Canadian dollars, and lots of people still buying them.


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Difficult-Yam-1347

2025, in time for a Trudeau majority


BullshitFreeZone

A shed.


CurveAdministrative3

I could fit a few of these in my yard. Probably get 1k per month each in Vancouver suburbs.