Sedona sets up parking lot for homeless

[rubytue]

Sorry I can’t find the gift link button www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2024/03/19/sedona-homeless-sleep-car-housing-crisis/

summary: city bought the cultural park on the west end of town to turn into affordable house, but haven’t built any yet. So they decide to turn the park lot in a safe sleep space for people living in cars. Most if whom work in town. 

I can’t even put my feelings into words here. Like, on the one hand, it’s better than the alternative (sleeping in cars in the national forest). But… but… this, THIS is your solution?

[livinitup]

“The site is likely to become a magnet for chronically unemployed people who come to Sedona seeking an essentially free place to sleep,” wrote resident William D. Noonan, adding that it will be home for “someone who works an hour or two a week for the opportunity to live at taxpayer expense in one of the most scenic homeless sites in the country.”

This seems like an oddly specific prediction/condemnation.

So, someone is unhoused, lives out of their car (with car registration and insurance) but gets an “opportunity”.

And where does “who works an hour or two a week” come from? Is that a thing?

[AAM2012]

Mar 19, 2024 21:54:54 GMT -5 livinitup said:

“The site is likely to become a magnet for chronically unemployed people who come to Sedona seeking an essentially free place to sleep,” wrote resident William D. Noonan, adding that it will be home for “someone who works an hour or two a week for the opportunity to live at taxpayer expense in one of the most scenic homeless sites in the country.”

This seems like an oddly specific prediction/condemnation.

So, someone is unhoused, lives out of their car (with car registration and insurance) but gets an “opportunity”.

And where does “who works an hour or two a week” come from? Is that a thing?

This is local to me

Don’t even get me started… heard a quote on the radio from someone opposing it who talked about how “all it takes is for one person to accidentally drop their cigarette while staying in this encampment, and this beautiful place is gone..”

[keyslover]

Mar 19, 2024 22:19:45 GMT -5 AAM2012 said:

Mar 19, 2024 21:54:54 GMT -5 livinitup said:

“The site is likely to become a magnet for chronically unemployed people who come to Sedona seeking an essentially free place to sleep,” wrote resident William D. Noonan, adding that it will be home for “someone who works an hour or two a week for the opportunity to live at taxpayer expense in one of the most scenic homeless sites in the country.”

This seems like an oddly specific prediction/condemnation.

So, someone is unhoused, lives out of their car (with car registration and insurance) but gets an “opportunity”.

And where does “who works an hour or two a week” come from? Is that a thing?

This is local to me

Don’t even get me started… heard a quote on the radio from someone opposing it who talked about how “all it takes is for one person to accidentally drop their cigarette while staying in this encampment, and this beautiful place is gone..”

I feel like Sedona is joining the ranks of Portland and Minneapolis with their homeless encampments. I cannot speak to whether Portland still has them (they did a few years back when I visited), but it is a constant struggle in Minneapolis.

Last month one went up in flames and firefighters had to work to ensure their safety due to the propane tanks and the houses adjacent to the lot

There has to be a better solution all around. People should have safe housing

[rubytue]

Mar 20, 2024 6:29:20 GMT -5 keyslover said:

Mar 19, 2024 22:19:45 GMT -5 AAM2012 said:

This is local to me

Don’t even get me started… heard a quote on the radio from someone opposing it who talked about how “all it takes is for one person to accidentally drop their cigarette while staying in this encampment, and this beautiful place is gone..”

I feel like Sedona is joining the ranks of Portland and Minneapolis with their homeless encampments. I cannot speak to whether Portland still has them (they did a few years back when I visited), but it is a constant struggle in Minneapolis.

Last month one went up in flames and firefighters had to work to ensure their safety due to the propane tanks and the houses adjacent to the lot

There has to be a better solution all around. People should have safe housing

Yes! I just sit here and think “really?! THIS is you solution to the housing issue? The best you can do?” 

OTOH, it’s not like I have a solution. Even if you tried to build affordable housing, it would be some builder getting a tax break for designating 10% of the units as affordable, which is some affordable designation that is also unrealistic for people living in cars right now, or something like that.

[meanie]

I mean, I don't like that people are forced to leave empty vacant lots if they need somewhere to sleep...but this can't be seen as a solution to anything.

In general, there are a lot of resources that go unused or underutilized because they are policed by people who would rather see them rot than *God forbid* be used by someone who doesn't "contribute"

I think most people would agree that everyone has a right to safety, food, clean water, housing, etc in the broad sense, but when it comes to allocating resources and budgeting it's a lot of NIMBY BS.

[havarti]

www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/wealthy-sedona-s-answer-to-housing-crisis-a-parking-lot-to-sleep-in/ar-BB1kaNBt

“Short-term rentals have greatly increased since 2020, from 744 (12 percent of the city’s housing stock) to 1,089 units (16 percent) now. That has provided more space for tourists and created jobs while “decreasing housing availability for locals,” according to the agenda item.

Jablow said state restrictions on short-term rentals have tied the hands of local officials to help residents. Legislation in Arizona and Tennessee has protected hosts’ rights. In 2016, Arizona passed a law that prevented cities and counties from banning short-term rentals. But that’s still not enough for local leaders such as Jablow to help offer affordable housing.

Home prices have shot up 50 percent since 2020, from an average of $645,000 in the first half of 2020 to $971,000 in the first half of 2023, according to the staff report. Rent for an average two-bedroom apartment is now $2,150 a month.“

These are the real life consequences of AirBNBs. People who cannot fathom having to share a bedroom on vacation and plop themselves down in a three bedroom ranch in what should be a normal neighborhood. Communities can’t support that model of vacationing and function as a livable environment.

[pixy0stix]

It's not just the people using the AirBnBs, it's the people purchasing the real estate to turn housing into short term rentals. Which also ties into the real estate agent thread.

In short, the entire system needs a major overhaul.

[havarti]

Mar 20, 2024 10:03:53 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

It's not just the people using the AirBnBs, it's the people purchasing the real estate to turn housing into short term rentals. Which also ties into the real estate agent thread.

In short, the entire system needs a major overhaul.

Oh, absolutely! But when people moan about not knowing what to do - don’t support this model of vacationing! And share with your friends your reasons too.

[ellipses84]

I couldn’t read the article with the paywall.

We have a similar program in our tourist destination larger HCOL city with several lots, some for RVs/ motor homes and others for cars. The benefit is dinner is provided, there’s security/ bathrooms and they can help connect people with other services. There are set hours so people can’t stay during the day. It’s run by a religious charity with the cooperation of the city (I think most are on city property and they help everyone regardless of religion and don’t push their religion in any way). I’ve volunteered to provide/ serve dinner at the car lot and most of the people did not look homeless and many looked like they had come there directly from work.

There have been efforts by the city to build more affordable public housing ($$ incentives and permitting priority) but an apartment building could take 2-3 years to design and build, and the need is far outpacing the new housing. Every new apartment project has to provide a % of affordable housing but developers are allowed to ask for a waiver to pay $$$ for someone else to do it or relocate it (so instead of providing a % in of their 10 buildings, they will omit it from 9 high rent projects and build a 10th project that is entirely affordable housing in a cheaper neighborhood). Shelters use motels a lot for overflow. ADUs are also highly encouraged which is adding more housing (like studio and 1 bedrooms on homeowner property) because more supply means less demand and less skyrocketing rental prices. They’ve limited # of airbnb/short term rental licenses.

The city of LA had lots of funding for housing the homeless and mayor support, but getting it built has been challenging, with a lot of NIMBY opposition. I know they’ve done some projects with trailer complexes that seem more permanent, while building true permanent housing. Again the need outpaces the building. The housing first approach is statistically proven to work, reduce homelessness and costing taxpayers less overall.

I think the issue in a wealthy small town like Sedona is challenging with their bootstraps mentality and other rich, remote towns like this are having similar issues because they want people to work in the town but there’s no where nearby they can afford to live. The solutions are the same - tax the rich, pay higher minimum wage/ pay living wages even if that means raising prices, prioritize affordable housing projects, limit / tax vacation rentals, etc and provide shelters for those that can’t afford any housing.

[ellipses84]

This case about ticketing / banning homeless is headed to the Supreme Court in April.

www.kgw.com/article/news/local/the-story/homeless-camp-case-oregon-grants-pass-supreme-court-filing-argument/283-ac170ce1-02c5-41de-97e1-135efcae7bd7