Local News Comments

Should read Demand for Affordable Rentals.

Lower property taxes.

If the rent is too much money move out.
More rules and regulations from bureaucrats.

Fred....The state is trying to kill prop 13...you think they care about home owners? The only thing they care about is squeezing more gilt.

If this state wasn't so politically regressive than more people could afford the American Dream.

Examine the need for affordable housing? Everybody knows that there isn't enough affordable housing in this county. The problem is that nobody wants to build housing for low income people because there isn't enough profit in it plus nobody wants low income housing in their neighborhood. Rents are too expensive for people who make minimum wage or receive public assistance. No wonder there are so many homeless people in this county.

Squirter....

I know some of the homeless in this county....
The overwhelming majority wouldn't try to find a job if you put a gun to their head.

Bottom line is better job!! as far as the homeless goes, get off drug, clean up your act, get a better address than Care of Sierra railroad tracks, Most of the homeless I see walking around don't want to be in normal society. Why should a landlord lower his standards and accept less rent, last time I looked it was a free market. There are two many free rides already. Everyone knows if you want welfare, come to Tuolumne County, no problem getting accepted.

Wow, back in the 50's it was called Get A Job..

What do you mean affordable housing? home prices here have dropped almost 50% and the county has 100"s of forclosures on the market

@squirter, So the answer is to build new homes for "people who make minimum wage or receive public assistance" at taxpayer expense? Or, maybe your a fan of the old affordable housing program that makes the people that buy a new house pay for the "affordable" home. How is a person that is making minimum wage or on public assistance supposed to afford upkeep, taxes and insurance on their new home home? The price of houses is as low as it has been in 40 years, how "affordable" do they need to be ?

A good job makes everything more affordable and that is what the supervisors need to focus on, along with reducing the requirements and fees to build, like other jurisdictions.

More income and less cost means you can afford better housing be it renting or owning. We need both.

People with low incomes often don't have a credit history and can't get a mortgage, even a small one. Banks just aren't interested. That's where state programs and private programs like Habitat for Humanity come into play. Unfortunately Habitat is too small at present to make a dent in the situation, but at least they provide people with an ownership stake, and some "skin in the game".

mcarden

Habitat for Humanity could be fixing up houses...instead of building new ones..there are plenty that could be renovated. Plenty of abandoned places....
Drive by the ditch in columbia...for example...
Then there would be MORE houses per buck.

Mccarden, you can supply all the low income housing you want, you still need a decent job to make the property tax and insurance payment. Regardless of your credit history, the banks will not finance anybody without 20% down and a decent job. Lets see on a 100,000. house 20% down and closing cost you would need 25,000.00 to even talk to a lender at 15 bucks a hour how long would it take you to save that kind of money. Or do you prefer that joe citizen dig the money out of their pockets. After all we are a entailed society, Just think 800,000 more coming on the books. Lets recruit them for Tuolumne county, the dems need a bigger voting block.

I read stories and comments on this site daily. I'm shocked and disappointed at how cold and heartless some of the commenters can be. It seems that they lack compassion for their fellow human beings. We get one life to live and unfortunatly not everyone lives it "perfectly". People make mistakes or are victims of circumstances beyond their control. Judging others is wrong. People can change and better their lives if given the opportunity to do so. Some never do unfortunatly. But to judge others or think that you are somehow better than they are is wrong. Any one of us could become homeless due to circumstances beyond our control at any time. So get of your high horses and start behaving like the moral, compassionate people that we were born to be.