Republicans vote unanimously to ban basic income programs in a state with one of the highest homelessness rates despite Arizona grappling with the fourth-highest rate of homelessness in the nation.
Means a bigger problem is happening...
]]>Why space colonisation is going to be tough. Wasn't sure where to put this. Climbing out of Poverty seems appropriate, because that is effectively what a Mars colony would be trying to do. Once you get past the wow factor, there isn't much that Mars has that a person or people can actually sell. In many ways it is a lot like trying to build a nation in Antarctica. But without breathable air and much more difficult and expensive to resupply.
]]>1. Housing costs are extremely high: The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic sent the housing market into a spiral. Mortgage interest rates have gone sky high as the demand for homes has increased and rates still remain stubbornly high. Those who were locked into mortgages with low, pre-pandemic interest rates are more reluctant to move and sacrifice their low rates. This has led to a smaller available housing stock, which has driven up home prices. At the same time, rents have risen dramatically across the U.S. over the past few years. Inflation (and the demand for housing) have driven housing costs way up — and renters are feeling the pain, too.
2. Inflation is still rampant: It’s clear that the prices of so many things have gone up over the past few years. The costs associated with housing, groceries, utilities, dining out and more have all risen. While the unemployment rate is very low, only a small fraction of Americans are out of work even when unemployment rates are relatively high. Meanwhile, elevated levels of inflation affect everyone regardless of employment status, which continues to plague people’s finances. For Americans, the perception of a “good” economy is more often influenced by lower levels of inflation rather than a low unemployment rate.
3. People need to adjust from rapid economic change: The onset of the pandemic induced negative economic change that affected many people and industries across the U.S. Sudden job losses coupled with high levels of inflation were a huge shock. In fact, in May 2020, about 60 million people reported that they had been out of work in the preceding month because their employer had lost business or closed due to the pandemic. Housing prices — as well as the cost of food, energy, and rent — have all increased. Now that the economy is recovering, Americans seem to need more time to adjust to economic change going in the opposite direction.
4. There are high expectations: After many parts of the economy crashed at the onset of the pandemic, it has taken several years for the economy to turn around. Also, during the pandemic, the federal government provided Americans unprecedented financial support. There was a pause on all federally held student loan payments, millions of eligible Americans received thousands of dollars via stimulus payments, there was expanded federal aid to all unemployed workers, there were many tax breaks granted to parents, a federal moratorium on evictions was in place, and billions of dollars in aid was given to state and local governments. Now that many of these provisions have come to an end, Americans are adjusting to what it means to have a “good” economy.
5. The media hypes up bad news: Despite recent economic progress, the media tends to have a negativity bias which, in turn, affects how Americans perceive the state of the economy. There is a gap between how people feel about the economy overall versus their own personal financial situation, per The Atlantic. Continued negative hype about the economy can both worsen the gap and shape negative financial perceptions.
The items 1,2,3 are part of why but the wish versus desire in 4 and repeated reporting of 5 are what makes up the solving of the why. As it points to wanting more money and keeping up with those that have more.
]]>Thanks for finding and posting this report ...
By any chance, did you notice the freezing toilet?
I'd like to more more about that option. I assume ??? the frozen material is carried back to civilization for disposal?
If so, that's not ** quite ** "living off the grid".
On the ** other ** hand, it sure sounds like a good idea .... the land where the tiny home resides does not get contaminated if the waste is removed.
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]]>sure if you get property that has no rights to services.
]]>Some will see a state minimum change, but others will not.
New Hampshire continues to have the lowest minimum wage in New England, matching the federal wage of $7.25. State lawmakers have defeated multiple attempts to increase it in recent years.
not going to be much help and coming from the page its sounds more like fada for politics.
‘We Must Do More’: Biden Admin Wants To Build 500K Starter Homes To Fix America’s Affordable Housing Crisis
The year 2023 marked the least affordable period for home-buying, with a record 41.4% of earnings being spent on housing costs.
Factors contributing to this crisis include high home prices, soaring mortgage rates, and limited housing inventory.
“A perfect storm of inflation, high prices, soaring mortgage rates and low housing supply caused 2023 to go down as the least affordable year for housing in recent history,”
President Biden has endorsed various affordable housing bills and action plans to address the issue, but the housing affordability crisis is expected to be a significant topic in the 2024 presidential election.
“President Joe Biden is clearly alert to the issue and its political importance. He has backed several affordable housing bills and action plans in 2023 — including the Neighborhood Homes Investment Act, which would produce 500,000 starter homes in under-resourced communities over the next decade,” the report noted.
Efforts to ease the crisis include bills to lower housing costs and increase access to affordable housing, as well as a Housing Supply Action Plan.
The lack of affordable housing could impact Americans’ ability to achieve life goals.
“Our first major priority is increasing the supply of affordably priced homes in order to lower housing costs,” Biden economic advisor Lael Brainard said.
“We are using every lever at our disposal — legislative proposals, our administrative authorities, our convening power, and our bully pulpit — to do so.”
“We must do more — at all levels of government and with partners across the housing landscape — to lower housing costs and ensure all Americans have access to affordable and quality housing. Congress should act.”
Sure I can buy the rising cost and affordability issues on todays low wages..but not the price range as its to high.
What we do know is during the last 8 years the cost have done nothing but rise.
‘A perfect storm’: RI homelessness soared 70% over past four years, federal data shows
The subgroup — comprising people who live in places not meant for human habitation, such as cars, parks, sidewalks and abandoned buildings — has increased more than sixfold, from 51 people in 2018 to 334 people this year.
Still appears to need studs for joining them for inside wallboard to be used.
Here is one made of a recycled plastic bricks
combined 3D printing and CNC machining to build a house for the cost of roughly $37,600,
About the cost of my foreclosure that I got back in the early 90's. Land costs are still an issue along with set up of septic and a well with clean drinkable water.
Of course, you then need power which keeps pushing the price climb.
]]>It appears that this design may feature a set of small structures combined into a living space with passageways between? In other words, is the 3D printer printing individual rooms that are collected under a single roof?
Startup CEO says ‘the house of the future costs as much as a car’ — here’s how the company plans to make it happen
Susan Elizabeth Turek
Sat, December 23, 2023 at 6:00 AM EST·2 min read
511 commentsNew technology from Japanese startup Serendix may eventually turn the dream of home ownership from the seemingly impossible into the possible for many Americans — and help us give our planet an assist in the process.
Serendix, which hopes to make housing more affordable, recently combined 3D printing and CNC machining to build a house for the cost of roughly $37,600, according to Adele Peters of Fast Company.
Compare that with the median cost of a house in the United States: approximately $431,000, according to The Ascent, a review platform of The Motley Fool.
“The house of the future costs as much as a car,” Serendix CEO Kunihiro Handa told Peters.
Handa added that the company’s goal is to fully automate the housing industry — much like Japan did with the auto industry more than 40 years ago.
3D printing has been around since the 1980s, when Dr. Hideo Kodama created a machine that hardened material with UV light, according to The American Society of Mechanical Engineers. As the technology — and the laws surrounding its use — has evolved, so have the opportunities for its application.
Today, an array of 3D-printing materials is available. According to Fast Company, in order to keep costs down, Serendix utilized concrete to print the walls of its 538-square-foot “barnacle” unit, giving an individual or a couple a bit of extra stretching room than a typical 100- to 400-square foot tiny house.
The home design is constructed around steel columns and includes one bedroom, one bathroom, a living room, and a kitchen. An incredible time-lapse video shows how they come together.
An added bonus? Small homes are eco-friendly because they need less energy to run, so your bank account and the Earth will be thankful. While an average-sized home in the U.S. is responsible for approximately 28,000 pounds of harmful carbon pollution per year, tiny homes emit around 2,000, according to the American Institute of Architects.
Serendix told Peters that its 3D-printed house only took 44 hours and 30 minutes to build. The efficiency of the construction time means that negative environmental impact is reduced. Globally, the construction industry is responsible for 39% of polluting heat-trapping gases.
Saerendix 3
Photo Credit: Serendix
Serendix has five printers, according to Peters, each of which can construct 50 houses per year, and the company intends to add more in 2024 in order to reach a goal of 850 per year.
There’s no word yet on when the company’s technology could be available in the U.S.
Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the coolest innovations improving our lives and saving our planet.
View comments (511)
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]]>Lego like housing ...
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/realest … f7c7&ei=33
“It offers the possibility for self builders to consider projects at reasonable prices.”
© Provided by The Cool Down
Move over, Minifigs. It turns out that humans can live in snap-together homes, as well.Belgium-based Gablok offers a do-it-yourself home-building kit that leverages the basic connection principle from the popular Lego brick toys.
“The concept … was inspired by interlocking building block toys, which we’ve been enjoying since a young age,” the company said on its website.
The project was founded in 2019 by Gabriel Lakatos. He developed it into a four-step plan for home construction: Design, 3D modeling, delivery, and assembly. Some homes can be snapped together within six days, Gablok claims.
And, just like any Lego kit, the parts come with instructions. All that you need for assembly are a screwdriver, a ladder, and the instructions.
There are eight key pieces builders receive, including some wooden wall, rafter, and flooring elements. The unique parts are the insulated blocks that form much of the structure. They are the pieces that resemble Lego bricks.
Those insulated wooden blocks are stacked to form the structure of the home. There is no glue — or construction knowledge — needed, all per Gablok.
The blocks are made from compressed, recyclable wood chips and strands, and a natural resin. The insulation is made from polystyrene, a plastic that can expand “to 40 times its size and volume,” the company states. That means the insulation is 98% air, making it a fantastic insulator. It’s part of the way the system is “eco-responsible,” all per the company.
Related video: BUILDING WITH LEGOS | Local contractor builds resilient 'styrofoam home' (WFTX Fort Myers, FL)
BUILDING WITH LEGOS | Local contractor builds resilient 'styrofoam home'
“I find the concept very original,” Pascal S. noted in testimonials published by Gablok. “It offers the possibility for self-builders to consider projects at reasonable prices.”
There doesn’t appear to be a price plan on the Gablok website. And, the setup is for the structure’s shell. The foundation and finishing touches are extras.
DIY alternatives to building a home should be welcome news. It costs $329,000 on average to construct a house in the United States. That doesn’t include the land, according to Forbes.
The team from Belgium isn’t alone in looking to Lego for solutions. A Dutch company is using blocklike structures to help rebuild coral reefs. Lego even has a program that collects used bricks, giving them to children’s nonprofits. The ideas are proof that there are many journeys to a more sustainable lifestyle, some derived from toys.
Lakatos said on Gablok’s website that he has more than 25 years of experience in traditional builds. Now, he is using that knowledge, and a love for Lego, to help make sustainable structures.
“I find the concept revolutionary,” customer Anne-Marie V. said on the company’s website.
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]]>That changes how the rick keep getting richer and spreads the wealth but that's not America is it?
On another note, I have been checking the level of value listed on realty sites and iot continues to rise which also will cause my taxes for the property to rise as well.
This works against home ownership and forces more to not be able to afford even rent.
I have shown the images in past posts, but the main thing is it keeps the money of the low end of income increasing and with it so will the health of those people.
]]>I've offered this suggestion before .... the launch of a probe to Psyche is an opportunity to bring it up again ...
If we humans could organize ourselves appropriately, we could distribute the wealth of a body like Psyche to every human on the planet, while at the same time giving ample reward to the entrepreneurs who actually collect valuable material from the asteroid.
At present, the impulse to grab everything in sight and to hold it for ones self is ** very ** strong in the human mind.
Unselfishness is better for everyone in the long run, but selfishness certainly seems to be a powerful moving force.
Per Google..
Psyche lifted off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 7:19 a.m PDT (10:19 a.m. EDT). “Congratulations to the Psyche team on a successful launch, the first journey to a metal-rich asteroid,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson.
4 days ago
NASA's Psyche Spacecraft, Optical Comms Demo En Route to ...
www.jpl.nasa.gov › news › nasas-psyche-spacecraft-optical-comms-demo-e...
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]]>Today I ran time.is/utc to find out what time it was, and this announcement showed up:
03:02:43 Tuesday, October 17, 2023 International Day for the Eradication of Poverty Make UTC time default - Add to favorite locations
I think that is a worthy cause!
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]]>http://newmars.com/forums/viewtopic.php … 42#p214742
The story at the link above seems to suggest there may be progress in building affordable housing.
The infrastructure of a community is still needed ... water, sewer, power, communications, stores with day-to-day supplies.
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