One of the things that was pitched by many community members at the Guilderland Planning Board Meeting tonight was the idea of building small single-family houses that are affordable as a solution to high housing costs that make it impossible for many families to afford their own home β as if that was some kind of self-evident goal.
The thing is as the Town Supervisor pointed out, no developer wants to build small single-family houses, as there is no way they could build them affordably and make a profit. Not because the developers are greedy, but because it simply costs too much to build a house with the required infrastructure and building codes to build small these days.
Small houses are a lot like small cars. People love them in theory, but it costs a lot to build a car these days, while complying with all the required safety and emissions standards. Car companies have to also build in the cost of recalls and lawsuits when their products hurt people due to design defiencies. Itβs the nature of beast β you have to build high-end enough cars to have enough of a profit margin and enough space to comply with all of the requirements. Small might be beautiful, but itβs not compatible with our modern way of living which says houses have to be safe in fires and other disasters, they have to be energy efficient and provide a wide variety of required modern amenities. Simply said, the house and cars required by todayβs laws canβt be the simple thing of yesteryear.
What does that leave us with? When it comes to new housing, itβs going to be large luxury houses, expensive condos and apartments. Then for those with a lesser income, there is the old stuff β namely used housing built under the less safe and efficent codes of years β along with older rental units and condos. The good news is though that new housing wonβt last new forever, and what is high end now will over time become affordable as itβs passed on down.
Moreover, itβs a mistake to knock condos and apartment buildings. Shared infrastructure saves costs. A common lawn and landscaping can be shared by many tenetants. Moreover, an apartment building will have only one connection to sewer for many units, only one electric and water connection. Density means fewer miles of water and electricity to run. Density means more access to public transit, as itβs easier to fill a bus with commuters heading downtown when they all live in the same place.
So much of renting a bad thing is a whole load of shit. Yes, you donβt build equity when renting, but you need a place to live and a lot more of housing is a consumable then you want to admit. Buildings get worn out, they need constant repair and maintence. Single-family houses often provide much more space then people actually need, theyβre status symbols rather sound investments. People only look at mortgage payments and equity, rather then considering all the other costs of motoring back and forth to work from a suburban house, not to mention the cost of mowing, yard and building maintence β all of which is shared with a condo or renting. Itβs true that a same-sized house versus a rental unit, the same-sized house in same location is likely a better economic value then a rental, but if you can rent closer to work in a smaller unit, chances are you come out ahead renting.
Clearly I agree with the Town Supervisor. I donβt think tiny houses or small-single family houses are the answer. Maybe accessory deweling units are one way to density existing neighborhoods, but donβt knock the benefits of apartment buildings and condos at providing affordable housing at a reduced cost, that is once they get a bit worn out and aged, and no longer are the latest new building to be built. Itβs not a bad thing when new apartments and condos are built in urban areas, even if they are pricey at first. We need housing, and dense housing is the way to provide lots of housing at an affordable price at least over time.
Is city living from everyone? No. Some people want to raise chickens and hogs, do some farming on acerage. Chop their own wood, raise their own crops. Thatβs great, thatβs a lifestyle for more remote locations when youβre not going to have conflicts of manure versus neighbors. Those are kind of people who should shy away from apartment buildings or densely populated people. But those who seek the urban life should not look down at apartments or condos, which are not only efficent in material use but also land use. Farms belong in farming areas, where people belong in cities.
