"Homes for the Homeless"

"Homes for the Homeless"

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Thoughts on Housing Costs






I'm currently working on an art project titled: HOMES FOR THE HOMELESS

“What happens to One, happens to all of us.” (THE HOUSE OF BERNARD ALBA, Fredrico Garcia Lorca, 1936)

These sculptures are constructed of boxes and newspapers. Newspapers are used regularly by the homeless as blankets and lining for their clothes to keep warm while they sleep in their boxes, cars and tents.

“What happens to One, happens to all of us.” (THE HOUSE OF BERNARD ALBA, Fredrico Garcia Lorca, 1936)

"But Lillian Calamari, a program manager for Single Room Occupancy Housing Corp., which manages more than a dozen temporary, emergency and permanent housing centers and support services around Skid Row, said people are being priced out of the area. "The homeless population will continue to grow as long as housing is considered an investment rather than a necessity," she said. (Downtown News, Fear of a Downtown Chill Moratorium on Conversions of Low-Income Properties Divides Community" by Chris Coates, Friday, May 26, 2006 6:35 PM PDT)

The working class has been forced to live deep in debt on credit due to the rising cost of housing over the past twenty years and the people have been one paycheck away from homelessness. The average cost of a home has risen from 80,000 to 350,000. The rise in the population over the past twenty years of homelessness is a result of this trend.

Today it is considered ”a bargain” to pay 500.00 a month for a home. One needs to be fully employed (.25% of 25,000 a year) to pay even that amount of money for housing, consequently one paycheck from being homeless. The rich will always be rich, the poor and the declining middle class are in a state of stress due to the high cost of living and constant debt. Living debt free with money in the bank – housing takes it all.