Condo Living
We’ve lived here in our condo for about a year. I’ve written before about the noise level in Sound Reasoning, about the near dead quiet at the farm contrasted with the busy sounds of traffic and conversations by folks enjoying the outdoors and walking by. As with most condos, the outside of the dwelling is the responsibility of the association. That’s one of the justifications for the monthly fees. Our group of units are at least 30 years old, and getting long in the tooth. Repairs are often required and the available funds can be stretched only so far. As a board member I get to see the actual situation.
Our row of four units has finally reached the top of the list for repairs. During the last week guys have been on our roof tearing off boards and replacing them, with the constant thrum of their generator right outside our patio. Constant loud conversations between those on the ground and those on the roof adds to the sound level. This is supposed to go on for two weeks, after which the painters will arrive and repaint the entire 4-plex. I predict we’ll be eating out as often as possible to get away from the construction noise. We were advised to take everything off the walls inside our units. That sounds a bit worrisome.
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My original topic today was going to be about homelessness. In checking back, I have discussed it on other diaries. But it’s so much in the forefront of our local news. The Sunday Chronicle always devotes space to homeless coverage. But here in Sonoma County it’s a very visible problem, exacerbated of course by the fires last year. Expensive homes were lost, but not often mentioned was the destruction of many lower-priced homes and especially low-cost rentals, which are not the types of dwellings that will be rebuilt. Folks that were just making it are now on the street. First and last month’s rent in advance is a tough barrier even for those with jobs.
Homeless folks have gathered in enclaves for safety, living in tents and rough enclosures. Neighbors object, so the county and city authorities roust them and, puzzlingly, confiscate their stuff. They move, regroup, rinse, repeat. An unused circle of roadway in a new industrial park has attracted a row of about 70 RVs in various states of repair. Seems like a good if temporary solution for some, but pressure is growing to clear them out. Many LTE’s in the paper are sympathetic to the homeless and press for better solutions by city and county.
From a comment by arodb yesterday:
San Diego just passed a law that allows people to live out of their vehicles. It had been that they had to move them at night, or in my area, every 72 hours. I remember N.Y. C. in the early 1960s, and there was virtually no homeless at all. There were legal SROs, single rooms with a bathroom on the floor. These became illegal in the 1970s, and homelessness burgeoned. arodb
KTK readers are spread around the country. What is the situation with regard to homeless in your area, or your experience? Does your city or county have any solutions or even good ideas?
This is a heavy topic for KTK, so feel free to introduce something lighter. Around here, it’s a subject that’s discussed around many a kitchen table.