Quote:
Originally Posted by LtBk
Housing projects? Are you talking about the ones that are located in poorer suburbs?
|
Yes.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HLM
The term HLM is no longer in use. It may have become too devaluing, humiliating to people living in that kind of housing. It's now called "logement social" (social housing). It's not only the designation that changed since the 80s. The quality and distribution of those housing projects have also improved a lot - it's now mixed with regular housing, which of course is much better - so much that a significant number of people who had a right to a social home when they were young now refuse to leave while their incomes have increased during their careers. That's wrong for social housing is obviously meant for low incomes exclusively. I can tell some folks making over €50k a year keep their better social homes located in rather nice suburban downtowns, which is absolutely unfair.
Besides, studies show that social housing is actually ineffective in decreasing real estate prices. On the contrary, it pushes speculation forward and tends to increase the price of privately-owned homes. So it shouldn't be seen as a final solution, shouldn't be spread too much, it's just to temporarily help people with lower incomes, the time for them to get better off. Once their incomes get over a certain level, they should simply be nicely compelled to leave their social homes. And in the end, ideally, there should be no need at all for social housing.
That's what disturbs me about that social housing policy. It tends to keep the people subsidized by their local public authorities instead of encouraging them to emancipate themselves by their work in businesses. So it's counterproductive, eventually impoverishing our society, slowing down the improvement of standards of living. It's yet necessary to some extent, for now.