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If you’ve never lived in poverty, stop telling poor people what they should do

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Rich and Poor. Credit: Flickr/Sandra Cohen Rose and Colin Rose. Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0). Originally published on  Everyday Feminism . The brownstone I lived in for eight months in 2009 and 2010 had few amenities – the building often smelled like leaking pipes, the carpets were threadbare in many places, and the steam heater in the corner was completely out of my control, resulting in quite a few freezing mornings and sweltering nights. It did, however, have a gas stove and oven which, the landlord had told me, was pretty new and “worked great.” Unfortunately, everything else in the unit was electric, which meant that I’d need to set up separate utility accounts and pay for the gas every month just to run the stove and range. “It’s like $10 to turn it on and then another $20-$30 per month depending on how much you use it,” she explained. Yeah, I’m just not going to do that, then,  I thought, doing the math in my head. At that point, $30 was just a little bit less than my tak...

Reno rent market at record-high prices, near-zero vacancy

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Damonte Ranch area is a sign of the city's need for housing in Reno, Nev. The recent influx of new workers combined with near-zero residential development during the recession gave birth to a classic supply-and-demand scenario that saw the cost of housing skyrocket in the Biggest Little City. (Andy Barron/The Reno Gazette-Journal via AP) Photo: Andy Barron, AP / The Reno Gazette-Journal" class="landscape" /> residential development during the recession gave birth to a classic supply-and-demand scenario that saw the cost of housing skyrocket in the Biggest Little City. (Andy Barron/The Reno Gazette-Journal via AP) Photo: Andy Barron, AP / The Reno Gazette-Journal" class="landscape" src="src" /> Damonte Ranch area is a sign of the city's need for housing in Reno, Nev. The recent influx of new workers combined with near-zero residential development during the recession gave birth to a classic supply-and-demand scenario that ...

Residents speak out against fire assessment fee - News - Gainesville Sun

Commissioner Mike Byerly said though it is too late in the process for the 2018 fiscal year to find an alternative to the assessment, it is important that the county look at alternatives for the following fiscal year. Cleveland Tinker @ClevelandTinker Citizens from around Alachua County voiced their opinions about the fire assessment fee passed by the Alachua County Commission a few months ago. Dozens of property owners let commissioners know how they feel about the new fee at a public hearing Tuesday night at the County Administration Building in downtown Gainesville . The commission at the end of the meeting voted unanimously to have county officials gather information about alternatives to the assessment fee for fiscal year 2019. Commissioner Mike Byerly said though it is too late in the budgeting process for the 2018 fiscal year that begins Oct. 1 to find an alternative to the assessment, it is important that the county look at alternatives for the following fis...

Spanish Fort planning commission vote allows controversial condo project to move forward

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During a public hearing at the Spanish Fort Planning Commission meeting Monday night , subdivision residents living adjacent to the proposed Quail Hollow development said they were worried the additional traffic flowing from the planned 147 condominium units would significantly worsen already congested conditions on Alabama Highway 225. (Mike Kittrell/mkittrell@al.com) With their options limited by a rezoning decision made in 2004, the Spanish Fort Planning Commission voted Monday night to allow Spanish Fort Apartment 2012 LLC owners to move ahead with a planned unit development called Quail Hollow on the west side of Alabama Highway 225 in the city. J.R. Smith, who is the city council representative on the planning commission , cast the only no vote. The Quail Hollow master plan includes construction of 49 two-story triplexes for a total of 147 condominiums on 19.62 acres located on the west side of Highway 225 about one mile north of Alabama Highway 31. It is north of the...

Roundabout opens at Plumtree and Tollgate roads, as tenants move into nearby apartments

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Harford County 's newest roundabout, at the intersection of South Tollgate and Plumtree roads in the Bel Air South area , was experiencing steady traffic Saturday , less that 24 hours after being opened to traffic for the first time. It is one of the final steps in connecting the last gap in Tollgate Road between Bel Air and Route 924/24 in Abingdon, making one continuous road, as first envisioned by Harford County planners more than 30 years ago. That final stretch, which is not expected to be finished until some time next year, runs through the Avanti Luxury Apartments community , which is currently under construction between Plumtree and Bel Air South Parkway . Traffic coming from the other directions – Route 24, Tollgate Road and the residential Cypress Drive – was steady Saturday afternoon , however. The roundabout is just a short distance west from the intersection of Plumtree Road and Route 24. "The developer has proposed to not open the connection until the apart...

East Falmouth 40B Brings Out Affordable Housing Stereotypes | Falmouth News

Plans for a Chapter 40B development on Brick Kiln Road sparked tension between members of the Falmouth Zoning Board of Appeals and the public last Thursday, August 17, when some neighbors voiced concerns about the perceived negative impacts of having affordable housing in their neighborhood. The proposed rental development , named Brick Kiln Place , would include 20 units contained in 10 ranch- style duplex buildings on 3.66 acres of land. Developers John J. DeSangro and Dana J. Wessell of Northstar Construction, doing business as Northstar Place , LLC, submitted plans for the project in January. The proposed development is unofficially located at 123 Brick Kiln Road , and would sit between two residential subdivisions on Sophie Lane and Jamie Lane, built between 1960 and 2000. Zoning consultant Stephen O. McKenzie, representing Northstar Place , noted that Mr. Wessell and Mr. DeSangro live off Brick Kiln Road themselves, and chose to build the affordable housing development...