I think its important to note that what is being bid over it not only just a house. Of course we all have architectural and aesthetic preferences, but what is the first criteria you must meet when selecting a house?
Its location. It is in the place I want to live? Is it near a suitable school? Does the area have high crime? Is it near potential work? Are there amenities nearby, like restaurants, parks, etc?
All of these things are features of the SITE, not of the house, and those are all things we being to take into account before we even care about what the house looks like. Bidding for a house is not just buying a place to live, its buying access to a location.
So, knowing that, is "first come first serve?" (and "whoever has the largest bank account") really how we want to organize our society in regards to who gets access to location? And I think the discussion around affordable housing is the same, in reverse. Affordable housing often, to me, seems motivated by the selfish desire to be able to define where low income people are allowed to live. And it won't be their backyard, that's for sure.
This is a really good point. I hadn't made the connection before between the value of location vs. where affordable homes are built to increase that supply. People may get the physical house they need, but they are not allowed a chance at access to those desirable locations.
I think its important to note that what is being bid over it not only just a house. Of course we all have architectural and aesthetic preferences, but what is the first criteria you must meet when selecting a house?
Its location. It is in the place I want to live? Is it near a suitable school? Does the area have high crime? Is it near potential work? Are there amenities nearby, like restaurants, parks, etc?
All of these things are features of the SITE, not of the house, and those are all things we being to take into account before we even care about what the house looks like. Bidding for a house is not just buying a place to live, its buying access to a location.
So, knowing that, is "first come first serve?" (and "whoever has the largest bank account") really how we want to organize our society in regards to who gets access to location? And I think the discussion around affordable housing is the same, in reverse. Affordable housing often, to me, seems motivated by the selfish desire to be able to define where low income people are allowed to live. And it won't be their backyard, that's for sure.
This is a really good point. I hadn't made the connection before between the value of location vs. where affordable homes are built to increase that supply. People may get the physical house they need, but they are not allowed a chance at access to those desirable locations.