housing subsidies

[joanna bujes]

At 05:59 PM 06/19/2002 -0400, wojtek wrote:
>Not exactly. It depends on the program, but generally low to moderate
>income people do get decent quality housing.  Government subsidies may pay
>for the downpayment, second mortgage and the closing costs - which are out
>of the pocket up front expenses for the home buyer, and can amount to
>$18-20k.  Low to moderate income first time home buyers simply do not have
>this kind of money to spend, which represents a major obstacle for their
>access to housing - even though they could easily afford to pay the
>mortgage payments (which in many circumstances can be lower than rent).
>
>So yes, that money does end in the pockets of developers, but the low
>income people get decent housing, and also do not pay rent to slumlords
>anymore.  What is more, this kind of assistance often pays for housing in
>urban areas, and thus contributes to urban renewal as opposed to suburban
>sprawl.

I was responding to the figures quoted in the article...which amounted to 
exactly 5K. And there is also the rub that if people were getting a family 
wage and social services, home ownership would not be out of their reach.

But, naturally, anything the govt does for the working class has to be a 
"hand out" rather than a just reward for the back-breaking labor they do 
and without which this country would crumble.

Joanna