Rents over the last two decades have risen much faster than employee pay, contributing to an escalating homelessness crisis in the U.S.

A growing number of Americans are ending up homeless as soaring rents in recent years squeeze their budgets.

According to a Jan. 25 report from Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies, roughly 653,000 people reported experiencing homelessness in January of 2023, up roughly 12% from the same time a year prior and 48% from 2015. That marks the largest single-year increase in the country’s unhoused population on record, Harvard researchers said.

  • queermunist she/her@lemmy.ml
    47·
    9 months ago

    When the UAW negotiates for higher wages, that raises wages for everyone else even when they’re un-unionized. A rising tide lifts all boats. That’s how you help single-occupancy renters.

    It would also help if blue states would pass more tenant’s rights laws to keep landlords from evicting people, and Biden could use the bully pulpit to push those forward. You’re seemingly ignoring that we were talking about tenant unions with a national spotlight. Surely you realize that would be different, right? A shitty landlord would get national attention and be forced to bargain by public pressure, and Biden could help. Sure, some landlords would be basically untouchable (single-occupancy renters and such) but enough could be pressured to effect the market.

    All of this is besides the point! I said that Biden could support tenant unions to help fight homelessness and unaffordable rents. Do you disagree with this basic premise?

    • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
      22·
      9 months ago

      You have not answered any of my questions. I asked you multiple questions and you didn’t answer a single one. Not even the one where I asked you what you personally have done about unionizing renters.

      So I have no idea why you think I would answer your question.

      • queermunist she/her@lemmy.ml
        37·
        9 months ago

        I did!

        How could they help a group of six tenants?

        How could they work with single-occupancy renters?

        When the UAW negotiates for higher wages, that raises wages for everyone else even when they’re un-unionized. A rising tide lifts all boats. That’s how you help single-occupancy renters.

        And then

        What would stop the landlord from just kicking those people out?

        It would also help if blue states would pass more tenant’s rights laws to keep landlords from evicting people, and Biden could use the bully pulpit to push those forward. You’re seemingly ignoring that we were talking about tenant unions with a national spotlight. Surely you realize that would be different, right? A shitty landlord would get national attention and be forced to bargain by public pressure, and Biden could help. Sure, some landlords would be basically untouchable (single-occupancy renters and such) but enough could be pressured to effect the market.

        And then

        Finally- what have you done about this?

        Now this one I didn’t answer this because it seemed irrelevant. I’m not the god damn president of the United States. That’s what we’re talking about. I don’t matter and trying to drag me in as if I am as responsible for the lack of tenant organizing as Joe Biden is absurd.

        • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
          11·
          9 months ago

          I see. So the responsibility for this rests solely on Biden’s shoulders and you don’t have to do anything but talk about it on the internet. Convenient.

                • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
                  12·
                  9 months ago

                  Insulting me will not make me accept a ludicrous premise. If you told me that Martians are eating my eyeballs, why would it be hypocritical or cowardly for me to say I didn’t accept that premise when you asked me?

          • queermunist she/her@lemmy.ml
            26·
            9 months ago

            🙄

            Some responsibility rests on Biden’s shoulders, far more than on mine or yours. You’re seemingly absolving him, as if blaming him for anything is wrong.