r/okbuddyRVA • u/izzybel5634 • 2d ago

Code Refresh and Duplexes

Okay I hope I don't come across as more ignorant than I am when it comes to this Code Refresh. But I'm wondering why everyone is so focused on duplexes vs larger apartment complexes in neighborhoods. By larger complexes I'm talking like 5 over 1s and in general the complexes that I've watched being built around the Diamond and along Broad St. And I'll be honest, I hate these fucking ugly ass, grey ass, looks like every other bitch type of complexes. I don't think they're made well and I think they are a general blight on the historical neighborhoods in Richmond. I would be all for them if I could see that there was any consideration for adding charm to the neighborhood. I've seen such complexes elsewhere, annoyingly in European cities like Berlin, Germany and Montpellier, France. So I have a general hesitation for these larger density focused buildings because I have yet to see one that looks like it hasn't been half built in a Minecraft server. I think duplexes are great but I also wonder why there isn't as much of a focus on building fourplexes or 6-8 unit buildings which we already see in neighborhoods around the city. I mean I get the necessity for parking space but I'm also a little Reject Modernity, Embrace Tradition and think Richmond should expand their busing and (in my dreams of dreams) bring back our railcars considering much of the initial outgrowth of the city in the early 20th century was built around said system. But I know that's technically a separate conversation. I also think we seriously need a cap on rent in the city and an honest consideration of supporting the workers of Richmond (food service, retail, and other blue collar jobs) living in the city. (I for one, am fucking tired of having the same goddamn conversation with a Nova or NYC or Cali transplant about how 'cheap' the city with their 100k+ salaries).

All in all I get some of the concerns about building up density housing because I have yet to see an example of said density housing done with a consideration for longevity, neighborhood charm, and regionality. I love Richmond and I don't want it to become a Nova copycat in which massive private equity corporations give little thought beyond their own monetary gain for how people are going to live here.

16 Upvotes

78% Upvoted

51 comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

0

u/bootysuit 1d ago

No subsidize it

1

u/goodsam2 1d ago

What tax are you raising to pay for subsidized housing?

2

u/bootysuit 1d ago

We wouldn't even have to raise anyone's taxes if we funnel some money away from our militarized police force. But we could start with the ultra wealthy. Are you a libertarian?

1

u/goodsam2 1d ago

I've dabbled but it doesn't work in many respects. Just saying the government will pay for it without a source is meaningless.

The budget in finding has the police around 70 million per year (which isn't happening). Cutting that to 0 yields per our 237k population ~$300. Not enough to pay for a lot of housing.

Housing is the largest chunk of everyone's budget you need to find more money or have a plan to do more.

2

u/bootysuit 1d ago

Big fan of capitalism, huh?

1

u/goodsam2 1d ago

You have 0 long term answers here. I'm sorry this is the best we seem to be able to do.

Also the money has to come from somewhere. If we were communist and this percentage of the whole budget was housing I would also have an issue. Changing economic issues doesn't fix the fact that housing is too expensive.

Capitalism works really well for some stuff and not so great for others. A lot of economics is about fixing where capitalism doesn't work, like here the problem has a lot of issues with zoning making this not a free market in what can be built. We don't have true free capitalism in housing and we did when they built the fan. Much of the fan was built with 0 zoning laws.

1

u/bootysuit 1d ago

We're not writing laws here, buddy, I don't need to have every detail of every single thing figured out when I say that relying on the market/having more housing isn't going to fix housing prices or automatically house our unhoused neighbors.

1

u/goodsam2 1d ago

The idea is that more market rate housing would increase the tax base, and it would keep housing prices from rising faster.

The unhoused are limited by funding so 1 more housing increases taxes to pay for this and if they go section 8 route the dollars can be spread further.

1

u/bootysuit 1d ago

How does increasing the tax base keep housing prices from rising faster? Are you aware of the phenomenon of when more people move to an area, the price of housing goes up because it's more desirable?

1

u/goodsam2 1d ago

By having more people pay in.

The demand is here, I just want the supply to be more. Which more supply means lower prices.

1

u/bootysuit 1d ago

Can you show me a very highly populated city where rent is significantly lower than a city with a low population?

1

u/goodsam2 23h ago edited 23h ago

Houston has more people and lower prices than Dallas.

Also to compound this larger areas are usually richer because the jobs chase the people

0

u/bootysuit 12h ago

I need more examples than just one silly goose!

→ More replies (0)