I own a house, because houses cost so damn much, and are so hard to find, and mortgage rates have increased, realistically I cannot change a house for a long time.
This means my job mobility is limited, I am stuck finding work in my local area.
It also means if I disagree with local politics, well too bad, I can't vote with my feet.
Many people are in this same situation.
People who are poor and stuck in cities with few prospects, cannot realistically move to coastal cities with higher paying jobs because of how high housing prices are.
Traditionally if people wanted to have better opportunities, escape corrupt small town politics, or just get away from abusive situations, they moved to a big city.
Housing is so absurdly expensive, none of that can happen anymore.
> I see a benefit having a nice city and somehow a high house price is what you pay to live in a nice city.
That is a new thing. For ages NYC had cheap dives artists could rent out, Seattle had basements musicians could rent out.
Heck for over a century NYC was a beacon around the world for people who wanted a better life, better opportunities. Now you'd better be in finance, tech, or already have a rent controlled unit.
People traveled across the country for the opportunities that San Francisco offered, a fresh start in a beautiful state.
That hope, that potential for a brighter future, is gone, largely because housing is so damn expensive.
Historically good cities have been affordable in America, but the problem with housing policies it is benefits current homeowners (such as myself!) to have housing stock stay small and limited.
I own a house, because houses cost so damn much, and are so hard to find, and mortgage rates have increased, realistically I cannot change a house for a long time.
This means my job mobility is limited, I am stuck finding work in my local area.
It also means if I disagree with local politics, well too bad, I can't vote with my feet.
Many people are in this same situation.
People who are poor and stuck in cities with few prospects, cannot realistically move to coastal cities with higher paying jobs because of how high housing prices are.
Traditionally if people wanted to have better opportunities, escape corrupt small town politics, or just get away from abusive situations, they moved to a big city.
Housing is so absurdly expensive, none of that can happen anymore.
> I see a benefit having a nice city and somehow a high house price is what you pay to live in a nice city.
That is a new thing. For ages NYC had cheap dives artists could rent out, Seattle had basements musicians could rent out.
Heck for over a century NYC was a beacon around the world for people who wanted a better life, better opportunities. Now you'd better be in finance, tech, or already have a rent controlled unit.
People traveled across the country for the opportunities that San Francisco offered, a fresh start in a beautiful state.
That hope, that potential for a brighter future, is gone, largely because housing is so damn expensive.
Historically good cities have been affordable in America, but the problem with housing policies it is benefits current homeowners (such as myself!) to have housing stock stay small and limited.
But those policies hold back the entire country.