Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: affordable co- (and other) housing

[Fred H Olson (fholson]

David, Southside Park, Sacramento wrote:
>For a glimpse of what might have been (alas), have a look at Bernie
>Sanders' extensive housing plank
> <https://berniesanders.com/issues/housing-all/> from his 2020 platform.
> ...
>I recall the 2016 version being even more radical (less reliance on
>incentives for private capital) but it doesn't seem to be available any
>longer.

I decided to ask ChatGPT...
What was Bernie Sanders' 2016 housing plank for his campaign?

ChatGPT said:

>In 2016, Bernie Sanders' housing plank focused on addressing the
>affordable housing crisis in the U.S. through a combination of
>policies aimed at increasing the availability of affordable housing
>and reducing homelessness. His proposals included:
>
>    Building 10 million new affordable housing units: Sanders aimed to
>create a major expansion of affordable housing to address the growing
>shortage, especially in high-demand urban areas.
>
>    Rent control and tenant protections: He proposed expanding rent
>control laws and strengthening tenant protections to prevent
>displacement and ensure that people have stable, affordable housing.
>
>    Increasing funding for the Housing Trust Fund: Sanders sought to
>significantly increase federal investment in the Housing Trust Fund,
>which provides grants to states to build, rehabilitate, and operate
>rental housing for extremely low-income families.
>
>    Creating a "Homeless Bill of Rights": He proposed policies to
>prevent discrimination against homeless individuals and ensure that
>they have access to essential services like shelter, healthcare, and
>education.
>
>    Investment in public housing: Sanders advocated for a major
>overhaul and investment in the nation's public housing
>infrastructure, addressing deferred maintenance and modernization of
>public housing units.
>
>    Support for affordable homeownership: Sanders' plan included
>proposals to make homeownership more accessible to low- and
>middle-income families, such as down payment assistance and expanding
>access to credit.
>
>His housing policy was part of a broader platform focused on reducing
>inequality and ensuring basic economic rights for working Americans.

Fred again: As usual consider the source but it sounds reasonable. I did
ask:

What was the source of this information?

ChatGPT responded:

>The information I provided comes from Bernie Sanders' official 2016
>campaign platform, particularly his proposals related to housing,
>which were outlined in various policy documents, speeches, and
>campaign statements. His housing plan was part of a broader effort to
>address economic inequality, and it was frequently discussed in
>campaign materials and interviews. For a detailed view, you could
>refer to the official Bernie Sanders campaign website or archived
>versions of his policy platform from 2016. Other sources, such as news
>articles covering Sanders' housing proposals during the election, also
>provided summaries and analysis of these ideas.

I have found https://chatgpt.com/ to mostly provide reasonable answers.

I would like to see the entire housing market changed to more resemble
the way limited equity coops and land trusts work.  This would eliminate
the main argument against these - what happens when you have to
reenter the housing market.

This is wssentially how I interpret David's statement:
>[Housing] needs to be considered a human right, decommodified instead
>of an "investment" and a profit center.

--
You can fool all the people some of the time and some of the people
all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.

Abraham Lincoln

Trump has proved he can fool enough of the people (aided by circumstances)
to get elected US president.  But what happens when his plans and boasts
go awry. For example, mass deportations and huge tariffs will do a number
on the economy.

Fred H. Olson  Minneapolis,MN 55411  USA        (near north Mpls)
     Email:        fholson at cohousing.org      612-588-9532
My Link Pg: http://fholson.cohousing.org                  ybb_