TheNiche Posted August 21, 2006 Share Posted August 21, 2006 Houston and Harris County need to have better planning in as far as Apartments go. There are too many, too spread out, causing too much trouble. For what its worth, these landowners/slumlords need to be paying an additional tax, as their impact on the community (usually negative) far exceeds what they contribute.I don't usually keep up with crime-related threads, but I'm glad that I stumbled upon this particular post. I've got a few points to make on this issue:First and foremost, WHY are apartments considered undesirable? Do the structures cause problems or do the occupants? That is the heart of the issue. Apartments are not the problem, poor people are.So if the City and County both enact ordinances that limit densities or specifically tax apartments as a land use, what will happen to rents? They'll go up because that's what capitalists do when a whole industry suddenly finds that its cost structure has changed. They pass the costs on to the consumer. And the consumers are poor people. So the City and County would have just started TAXING THE POOR.So guess what a fair number of the poor are going to do? They're going to move to all of the counties surrounding Harris. The poor move to the suburbs, FURTHER FROM JOBS in patterns that are less centralized so that they CAN'T BE EFFECTIVELY SERVED BY MASS TRANSIT.But what'll happen the moment thatBut what'll happen the moment that...I'm having trouble connecting effectively to HAIF's servers. It cut off my post in mid-sentence and won't let me edit the post. To briefly wrap up, the ACLU and developers sue the City and County, and they WILL win. So in addition to the sociological disaster, there is the potential for a major financial upset within the City/County governments. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VicMan Posted August 21, 2006 Share Posted August 21, 2006 So guess what a fair number of the poor are going to do? They're going to move to all of the counties surrounding Harris. The poor move to the suburbs, FURTHER FROM JOBS in patterns that are less centralized so that they CAN'T BE EFFECTIVELY SERVED BY MASS TRANSIT.That doesn't have to happen - there are parcels of undeveloped land in southern Houston inside the beltway and outside the loop... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricco67 Posted August 21, 2006 Share Posted August 21, 2006 That doesn't have to happen - there are parcels of undeveloped land in southern Houston inside the beltway and outside the loop...To what end? Is that were ALL the apartment complexes should be at? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VicMan Posted August 21, 2006 Share Posted August 21, 2006 To what end? Is that were ALL the apartment complexes should be at?No - it would be dumb to have all apartment complexes in one area. In fact, that is what caused Gulfton to tank.Think of apartment complexes like wine - they are good in moderation. Too many apartment complexes, especially poorly-managed ones, can ruin neighborhoods.Keep in mind that the south side can get new single-family residences as well as apartments (See Corinthian Pointe)- This can allow for the south side to retain stability. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedScare Posted August 21, 2006 Share Posted August 21, 2006 (edited) Houston and Harris County need to have better planning in as far as Apartments go. There are too many, too spread out, causing too much trouble. For what its worth, these landowners/slumlords need to be paying an additional tax, as their impact on the community (usually negative) far exceeds what they contribute.Apartment owners already pay an additional tax. Homeowners receive a homestead exemption. Apartment owners do not. They pay full freight. Additionally, the problems with apartments are not that they are too spread out, but that some are too close together. As for too many, occupancy rates suggest otherwise. When there are too many, builders stop building them. Edited August 21, 2006 by RedScare Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GhostDog Posted August 22, 2006 Share Posted August 22, 2006 My only problem with apartments is when they are not kept up and are 20 years old or more...When they get that old, noone really wants to live in them so the rent goes down to the point where a vast number of undesirables can afford to live there...i know you guys know this, don't know what Niche was asking exactly...look at all those apartments on Broadway near Hobby in Glenbrook Valley...you can look at the style of them and know they used to be really nice places...time and mismanagement led to their downfall...if they do not clean up the westchase apartments on wilcrest, hayes and kirkwood that place will really get bad.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sttombiz Posted August 22, 2006 Share Posted August 22, 2006 west houston/memorial will not stand for deplorable conditions in any of its neighborhoods. even though this is south of the bayou, memorial should still step up to help the apartments in the area out. ...I mean even north of the bayou the apartments on thicket or nottingham oaks trail and memorial. those are getting worse and worse. west houston chamber needs to take an active role in the managemnet of the apartment complexes which are becoming older and older. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeebus Posted August 22, 2006 Share Posted August 22, 2006 Occupancy rates determine who lives in an apartment complex. Wanna save Westchase? Just raise the rent. Wanna restore Briar Forest? Raise the rent.I lived in an apartment complex on Wilcrest just north of Briar Forest back in 2002. It was right before Gerland's pulled out and Food Town backed in. We paid $900 for a 1200sq ft 3 bedroom, two story apartment - with no washer/dryer. The rent should have been $1200 considering the location.Raise the rent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TJones Posted August 22, 2006 Share Posted August 22, 2006 That doesn't have to happen - there are parcels of undeveloped land in southern Houston inside the beltway and outside the loop...Vicman, are you suggesting putting ALL apartemnts by our local airports ? Just because people decide they don't want to buy a house or can't afford one, doesn't mean that they should have to live as second-class citizens, and be stuck listening to the roar of airplanes all day long. Is that really fair to you ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
houstonmacbro Posted August 22, 2006 Share Posted August 22, 2006 Vicman, are you suggesting putting ALL apartemnts by our local airports ? Just because people decide they don't want to buy a house or can't afford one, doesn't mean that they should have to live as second-class citizens, and be stuck listening to the roar of airplanes all day long. Is that really fair to you ?yeah, that's kinda the tone i am hearing too ... i mean, i live in an apartment because:i cannot afford a house at the momemnti am not sure i can manage a house (maintenance, etc.) at this timeit doesn't mean that i am some sort of scum that abuses the apartments i am currently in. (i've been a homeowner twice before). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheNiche Posted August 22, 2006 Share Posted August 22, 2006 That doesn't have to happen - there are parcels of undeveloped land in southern Houston inside the beltway and outside the loop...I don't really understand your reasoning here.If regulations such as those suggested by mrfootball were implemented, the availability of vacant land in the City or County would be irrelevant. New construction is almost always aimed at the middle or upper class (unless subsidized) because it is too expensive to serve poorer populations. So poor apartment-dwellers tend to live in the luxury apartments of the past.And if there were special taxes put on apartment owners/dwellers, what would that do to encourage development in a specific place?Keep in mind that the south side can get new single-family residences as well as apartments (See Corinthian Pointe)- This can allow for the south side to retain stability.So what was your point? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mm mm good Posted August 22, 2006 Share Posted August 22, 2006 yeah, like the north side. i am at fm 1960 @ i45 and i cannot name a single library out this way. not sure if there is one or not, hcl or hpl.There's one on Cypresswood and Stuebner Airline, across from the county courts building. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Montrose1100 Posted August 22, 2006 Share Posted August 22, 2006 Westchase is starting to sound like a ripple of Gunspoint. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VicMan Posted August 22, 2006 Share Posted August 22, 2006 (edited) I don't really understand your reasoning here.If regulations such as those suggested by mrfootball were implemented, the availability of vacant land in the City or County would be irrelevant. New construction is almost always aimed at the middle or upper class (unless subsidized) because it is too expensive to serve poorer populations. So poor apartment-dwellers tend to live in the luxury apartments of the past.And if there were special taxes put on apartment owners/dwellers, what would that do to encourage development in a specific place?So what was your point?No, I don't mean there's any reason to establish any new ordinances - My point, is that if Mattress Mac is successful in getting many of the rotten complexes torn down, and the people displaced by the teardowns who are not thrown in jail still desire a place close to work, new housing can be built on undeveloped land in southern Houston - And my other point is that the housing should (and can) be a mix of single and multi-family in a way that causes the newly-established neighborhoods to retain stability.Vicman, are you suggesting putting ALL apartemnts by our local airports ? Just because people decide they don't want to buy a house or can't afford one, doesn't mean that they should have to live as second-class citizens, and be stuck listening to the roar of airplanes all day long. Is that really fair to you ?What I meant was, if Mattress Mac's neighborhood efforts to tear down apartments are successful and displaced people need a place close to work, new housing can be build in undeveloped land in southern Houston.The land around Hobby Airport is already developed.The land I am talking about is along 288 inside the beltway and outside the loop - And also to the west of Almeda inside the beltway and outside of the loop.My previous response reads:"No - it would be dumb to have all apartment complexes in one area. In fact, that is what caused Gulfton to tank.Think of apartment complexes like wine - they are good in moderation. Too many apartment complexes, especially poorly-managed ones, can ruin neighborhoods.Keep in mind that the south side can get new single-family residences as well as apartments (See Corinthian Pointe)- This can allow for the south side to retain stability." Edited August 22, 2006 by VicMan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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