Real Estate for Radicals - A blog about decommodified housing in the US and beyond

Liberty Coop: A Place to Live and Do the Work

A group of housing activists is doing something unprecedented (they believe in South Florida but perhaps anywhere). They have purchased a property in Miami and are recruiting residents to both live there cooperatively and do housing justice work. The plan is for residents to live cooperatively 24/7 and train to work 4 hours a week doing direct community outreach, host neighbors and events at the house and educate the community on Community Land Trust affordable housing through outreach and events.

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September 30, 2022

Writing

10 Simple Hacks to Cheaper Housing

10 Simple Hacks to Cheaper HousingThe rent is eating first and well! Every year it seems, housing costs rise faster than wages or inflation. Here are some age-old and newer strategies for reducing your housing costs and maybe for helping to lower them for all.1. Move: Housing prices vary dramatically within and across cities, so sometimes small moves can make a big difference. Even within some relatively small cities, like Miami Beach, rents for a 2 bedroom, 2 bath apartments can range from $1,800 to over $30,000 per month (Zillow.com). And of course, prices can fall even more dramatically if you are willing to move to somewhere else more affordable. For example, one could leave Miami beach but stay in Florida and rent this $850/month two bedroom in potentially charming Leesberg, Florida. With so much work from home, such moves might be a real possibility.2. Downsize: Since real estate is very predictably priced by the square foot, reducing your space requirements will open up possibilities. And you may need less…

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December 2, 2022

Throwback Thursday

May Mother Bowron and the fight for Hawaiian Squatters’ Rights

Born Marion Bowron in London England 1881, May Bowron left for the United States when she was 20 years old. She attended the Chicago Training School, graduating with a nursing degree in 1916. She accepted the call to become a missionary with her sister Florence. Their first assignment was the Palama settlement in Honolulu. They arrived in 1923 in Honolulu on the Matsonia, living together at 1653 Pensacola and serving as settlement nurses in the Papakolea district. That district, which lacked paved roads and sewage facilities, sat on Federal lands. A 1929 article described the residents as “squatters” who had “established makeshift homes.” A later article would amend that, “Hawaiians living on the land had never agreed with the term "squatter," however. Since the land had once been crown property, they felt they had a perfect right to live there.” May, known at that point as Miss Papakolea, started “The Tantalus Clinic” an infant and child clinic , and saw her first patients in February 1926. She initially held it…

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November 10, 2022

Writing

Reunions and Rape: Returning to the Stanford Campus

This isn't the entry I thought I would be writing. I thought I would be returning to my 25th reunion at Stanford and my first experience in cooperative living at a campus cooperative on "the row," Kairos. When my best friend and roomie walked by during our reunion campus tour, students had bannered the facade. Along with a call to the complicated Landback movement, was an additional banner that read, "expel rapists." We later saw similar signs on other student co-ops and housing. When we encountered some students and got a quick explanation, it seems they mean "expel rapists" quite literally. The students gave us their take on the process Stanford has in place for reporting sexual assault on campus. It is not only frustrating and humiliating for victims but has left many perpetrators matriculating on campus. On the heels of two recent incidents of "stranger" rape, the students were trying to bring attention to assaults on student bodies by student bodies. The case of student-on-student sexual assault includes…

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October 27, 2022

Uncategorized

Stay in Somerville! Affordable condos available

Somerville Community Land Trust hosted a forum last night to discuss their community land trust and ties to eviction. A number of interesting facts emerged. First, the city is in the unusual political position where elected officials are working to affiliate themselves with affordable housing preservation and development projects. Usually, politicians try to distance themselves from local affordable housing efforts. Second, the Somerville Community Land Trust has completed its first new construction project and the units are now available. The building at 7 Summer is less than 1/2 mile from the green line. The one and two bedroom apartments start at $264,000 for a 2 bedroom. While that might seem like quite a bit for an "affordable" condo, SCLT estimates that the total costs for new construction in Somerville are approximately $500,000 - $600,000 per unit. Indeed, compare this to nearby and recently sold 33 Summer Street. That 2-bedroom condo went for $650,000. There is some fine (and here I also mean fine, as in "of high quality") print worth…

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October 19, 2022

Housing listings

Luxury that’s truly affordable

A subsidized one bedroom is available for immediate occupancy in Medford at The Sphere Luxury Apartments. Located near Ball Square, the income-eligible apartment has a maximum rent of $1,865.00 per month To be considered for this unit, all applicants need to: 1) Fill out the Ready Renter Pre-Application online at https://metrowestcd.org/find-housing/ready-renter-program/ AND 2) Contact Barbara at barbara@metrowestcd.org or by dialing (617) 923-3505, ext. 8 to receive a Waitlist Interest Form

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October 14, 2022

Real estate listings

College town offers a master course on land trusts

Check out this community land trust house for sale in State College, PA! For over a quarter of a century the State College Community Land Trust has steadily acquired homes and converted them (46 and counting) to permanently affordable housing. And while this organization has passed the test of time, this all-volunteer group has also changed with the times - making racial equity a core component of their mission and working toward sustainability through improving energy efficiency in older homes and joining other CLTs in building new Net-Zero projects

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October 12, 2022

Uncategorized

Salish Way: Affordable and award-winning

Location and image of Salish Way Lopez Island is so far north in the continental United States that when you are there your cell phone is likely to generate international charges. But that proximity to all things Canadian may have something to do with the dedication and success of Lopez Community Land Trust that's been developing affordable housing, sustainable agriculture, and other rural development programs since 1989. Recently the Land Trust received the Built Green Hammer Project of the Year award for Salish Way, a housing neighborhood completed in 2021. Among other things, Salish Way homes achieved 30% energy use improvement above current WA State Code.

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September 29, 2022

Uncategorized

What is radical real estate?

Imagine taking a random group of 100 people living in America. One that is representative of people living in America. Nevermind that this is a near impossible given the levels of segregation in the country. Then ask them where they live. Ninety of them would say they either rent or own their home. 10 of them would say that they are living differently. Some would say they are living radically. This not insubstantial minority neither rents nor owns in the private market. They are homemaking in some other way. Likely a housing cooperative, maybe in a community land trust. Perhaps even a squatter.

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October 5, 2021