Canada makes an unprecedented push for multifamily housing
https://grist.org/housing/canada-makes-an-unprecedented-push-for-multifamily-housing/Open linkView original on lemmy.worldhttps://grist.org/housing/canada-makes-an-unprecedented-push-for-multifamily-housing/Open linkView original on lemmy.world
A great start! Now let's also cut back on parking minimums and setback bylaws to make nicer spaces that people actually want to live in, rather than townhouses masquerading as a single mansion
Build multifamily housing where transit has priority over cars. I want to see trams with priority at traffic lights.
As someone who lived in a few houses and now rent an apartment, when well done it is not bad at all. I don't hear my neighbours ever and my building is a renovated house, not even a new build with modern sound proofing. My location lets me walk to nearly everything I need, including the main bus terminal in my city. If you asked me 5 years ago I'd have said I could never live in an apartment and now it is one of my favourite places I've lived.
I think that really is the ideal, for a lot of reasons. It's better for the environment, it saves a lot of money overall, it's better for mental and physical health, it really is the best way to go. However, I get why many people don't like the idea of giving sometimes as much as half of their paycheck, or maybe even more, to some landlord. Luckily, there's a solution for that, too: not-for-profit housing organizations. They're essentially just like regular landlords, except instead of charging a market rent they just charge enough rent to cover all their costs, and that's it.
Or just like own the apartment
We could also design and build building where is is possible to own a part of it. Might have to pay a monthly fee for maintaince of things like roofs, entrances or exterior walls. If it is possible to split and own row houses/townhouses, it should be possible for apartments as well.
I think that's basically what condominiums are. I think condos could be a great option, but I don't think they're usually any less expensive. Of course, maybe they would become more affordable if enough of them were built.
Condos also tend to be luxury. I was basically getting at it should be possible to own apartments in the right circumstances.
In my apartment building they ripped out the carpeting and padding of the unit above me. I couldn't hear the residents that lived above me at all when there was carpet, but these new neighbors are making lots of footfall noises with the hard floors. It's close to a nightly basis with them. Their footfalls will keep me awake past 11 pm.
Where tf was this 5-10 year ago?
Liberals are looking at crushing defeats and now scrambling to make.sometbing work.