We have a tendency to address symptoms rather than root causes of problems. When we identify causes, we often focus on one cause when there are multiple causes, and we focus on causes that fit our preconceived ideas, and, all too often, our biases, which unfortunately can relate to our religious or philosophical preconceived ideas. I don’t believe I can identify all causes or determine how much of an issue is due to which causes, and I don’t claim to be free of my own biases.
Affordable and low income housing is certainly a problem in Longmont and many other localities. After some years of stagnation, rental rates and housing prices have risen sharply with little change in incomes. In Longmont, the 2013 flood has made this problem worse. As a result, rental rates have increased by 20-30 percent and home prices have soared. In Longmont, the increases partially reflect the pressures created by housing prices in Boulder.
The homeless are not just those that we see camping out or seeking shelter. Many are finding shelter with others. The practice of moving from one home to another is often called couch surfing. While not living on the street, this is not an adequate solution.
One cause of the housing issue is low incomes, especially for families. The minimum wage does not come anywhere close to letting a family afford housing in Longmont unless both parents work multiple jobs. Middle incomes and low incomes have fallen over the last decade compared to inflation. Concentration of wealth in the upper few percent has increased significantly in Anglo and Latino households.
In some cases individuals are not working. Some conservatives blame the individual for not wanting to work. This may be the case for a few. However, we have sent many people off to wars that cannot be won and then failed to provide adequate medical care. Many veterans suffer from physical and mental conditions that preclude their working or working for a wage that exceeds the poverty level in their community. We have numerous individuals that have used drugs to the extent that they can no longer function well enough to maintain employment. There are also some individuals who never had the capacity to maintain a decent paying job. Fortunately, some organizations do provide meaningful, if not well paying, employment that accommodates individual capabilities.
Disturbingly, approximately 30 percent of the homeless are homeless because of domestic violence.
We are fortunate in Longmont that there is assistance from the City and nonprofits to help with housing for low-income residents. Programs such as those at the Inn Between and the OUR Center not only provide housing but, importantly, assist individuals and families to become more self sufficient.
Unless there is a way to increase incomes, we will continue to have housing challenges. It is not likely that sufficient numbers of affordable housing units will become available in the foreseeable future.
The minimum wage has not kept even close to the increase in the cost of living. Middle income families have not kept up either. Over the last 30 years the economy has grown substantially while incomes have been close to stagnant. These seemingly contradictory observations are partially explained by the rapid increase in the earnings of the more wealthy residents of the USA.
According to the 2015-2016 Trends Report issued by the Community Foundation of Boulder County, 18 percent of families in Longmont are living below the Boulder County poverty level. Boulder County poverty rates for children and families with children have increased by over 50 percent from 2000 to 2013. Housing and childcare costs are major contributors to this unacceptable level of poverty.
Causes are easier identified than solutions, which are more easily identified than accomplished. Reversing the downward trend in middle and low income wages would help. Some have resisted increases in the minimum wage because they say it will hurt businesses. Large segments of the population not having income to spend is clearly bad for local businesses. The all too few increases in minimum wages have had more positive impacts than negative effects. The longer increases in the minimum wage are delayed, the more difficult it is to implement.
Counseling to reduce domestic violence, better health care, especially for vets (maybe fewer ill conceived wars) and increased spending on public education would help.
How many of us might be one catastrophic illness not covered adequately by insurance away from being homeless?
Bob Norris has lived in Longmont since 2000, having served on nonprofit and city boards.
This opinion column does not necessarily reflect the views of Boulder Weekly.
