KCRag Forum

They also have a sign out front indicating that they are now showing units.

I saw the article in the star today.  Someone please explain how "affordable housing" works.  From the star, you would need to make less than 28,000$ per year to be eligible for a 1 bedroom flat?  That is essentially poverty level income.  How is that ultimately different than section 8 housing?  Different rules but same net effect. 

Highlander wrote: I saw the article in the star today.  Someone please explain how "affordable housing" works.  From the star, you would need to make less than 28,000$ per year to be eligible for a 1 bedroom flat?  That is essentially poverty level income.  How is that ultimately different than section 8 housing?  Different rules but same net effect. 

$28,000 or less for a single person isn't poverty. Think of the delivery person, retail workers, etc. that make like $12 per hour. It keeps people from spending too much of their income on rent when they have a smaller income, which is probably good for the economy and makes their lives a bit more enjoyable.

I looked at these last month and the leasing agent claimed she only had 2 units left. It was 790 for a small 2 bedroom and me and my proposed roomate would have to have a "combined income" of under 28,000. To  qualify me and  my roomate would have to make 14K each according to the agent, which is patently ridiculous. If I made 14K before taxes, I certainly wouldn't be able to afford over 400 dollars in rent when you include the monthly parking surcharges. Totally outrageous. I have know doubt that those who did "qualify" to live there make most of their income under the table.

It's really sad when someone in this city thinks $28,000 is poverty.  That's basically what I was making 5 years ago and somehow I managed to afford a $600 rent payment and still have a decent amount of disposable income.

The 2 BR arrangement is likely to accommodate a single parent and children (one income), not two working single people.

$28k is definitely not poverty.  I have known many people making that much or less, most have been college grads taking on their first real job.

Unfortunately for one guy I knew who met the income qualification, you also cannot live in "affordable housing" if you have attended college within the previous year.    I guess they assume that you're likely soon going to make too much money.

Unless I am reading the tables wrong, federal standards put the poverty level for a 2-person family at an income level of  26,400$ per year. For a one-bedroom apartment, I would suspect that a 2-person family would be the target audience.  28,000$ per year is not quite poverty for a family of this size, but pretty close.  For only one person, the poverty income level drops to 19,600$. 

The Professional Building and the coming soon Cold Storage Lofts area both what is referred to as "Section 42" housing.  The tax code has some complicated sides to it, but it generally is development geared to provide decent housing for lower-middle part of our economy.  Really a very cool program, because it helps what is the most needful part of the community (not eligible for other assistance programs)  and in this case it has facilitated the reuse of classic downtown structures for which the numbers did not work out as a market-rate development.

Do you guys only want gay, artistic, bohemian, single professional types living downtown, or is there enough room for the rest of us? Not the poorest of the poor, but perhaps the lower middle class. Personally I think it shouldn't matter. Wouldn't it be awesome if normal people lived downtown too?

when they were building the rowhousing in quality hill in the early 90's, i explored moving into them, but i did not meet the income guidelines, i made over 18k, and i was rejected. i am not sure if they were all like that, as, there were some of them that were apartments, and some that were actually townhome setups, so, some could have been different, but, i had a friend living in the cordova building at 12th and pennsylvania, and she said hers was the same.

now, it could be different now, who knows. i never really liked that setup, because, for the longest time, all the housijng in dt was in qh, and almost all was low income. so, assuming it is still like that, after all the new high end condos going up, it is a good thing to do some more lower income housing.

KCK wrote: Do you guys only want gay, artistic, bohemian, single professional types living downtown, or is there enough room for the rest of us? Not the poorest of the poor, but perhaps the lower middle class. Personally I think it shouldn't matter. Wouldn't it be awesome if normal people lived downtown too?

Yes, it would be awesome.  Please live downtown.

KCK wrote: Do you guys only want gay, artistic, bohemian, single professional types living downtown, or is there enough room for the rest of us? Not the poorest of the poor, but perhaps the lower middle class. Personally I think it shouldn't matter. Wouldn't it be awesome if normal people lived downtown too?

so gay bohemian artists are not normal?

KCK may have meant typical people, obviously.

I want to live downtown but have to do so on a job based on a GED-education credential*. Is there a job and decent place to live downtown for me?

Stockton wrote: KCK may have meant typical people, obviously.

I want to live downtown but have to do so on a job based on a GED-education. Is there a job and decent place to live downtown for me?

aye.  there are lots of places to work downtown or very nearby, and there are pretty cheap apartments too. 

Aren't people going to have to demand for market rate housing. Just like promoting a grocery store downtown. How long did it take to get the grocery store? Advocate for what you want, and not on a website. Do we have stats for the desire of market rate housing downtown? I'm sure there are still lingering perceptions among people about living downtown.

Downtown Jimmy John's to open in a week or so, pending permit approval.

kccrackednut wrote: Downtown Jimmy John's to open in a week or so, pending permit approval.

Window coverings were down this morning and you could see the interior.  It looks ready to go.

Anyone know what the deal is with Bear Creek Coffee next door to JJ's?  Looks like there hasn't been any activity in there at all.

Anyone know if Jimmy John's is open yet?

staubio wrote: Anyone know if Jimmy John's is open yet?

Drove by last night and it looked completely ready for business but did not appear to be open yet.  I wouldn't think it could be more that a day or two off from the state of things.