RAISING SOCIAL AWARENESS, The ALISON D. GILBERT Blog, THE ECONOMY & ENVIRONMENT

POOR MIDDLE CLASS HOUSING ALTERNATIVES

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Poor Middle Class Housing Alternatives
This is a continuation of the last post, The Poor Middle Class Housing Crisis. In this post, poor middle-class housing alternatives are presented. This can involve some ‘out of the box thinking’ solutions. These tools can include:
1. Downsize possessions
2. Buy or rent a smaller home
3. Rent subsidized or senior housing
4. Find Ways To Live Rent Free
5. Invest In A Tiny House
6. Relocate to a cheaper area, state or country
7. Live off the grid
8. Embrace an RV Lifestyle

housing alternatives
Self Storage in America from Slate article by Tom Vanderbilt

Downsizing
Have you ever noticed how many storage facilities there are? This has become a booming industry. We have too much stuff and we don’t know how to part with it. So we rent space to horde it. My rule of thumb is this. If you feel the need to rent a storage space for your overflow of belongings, don’t. Downsize instead.
1. Donate possessions to the Salvation Army or other charity
2. Give things to your children or someone you know who wants and needs them
3. Have a garage sale
4. Sell things online
5. Buy or rent to a smaller, less expensive residence

Buy Or Rent A Smaller Home
It is much easier to go bigger than smaller. But for the poor middle class, the latter may be a necessity. It may be difficult emotionally to let go of a treasured home. But would you rather be in debt in a home you adore or be solvent in a house you can afford? For those in crisis as part of the poor middle class in the US, when it comes to housing selling and downsizing may be the only way to go. Even for those not in crisis, more modest living can open more doors than it closes, financially.

housing alternatives
Large House for Sale from USA Today

Subsidized Housing
I have found this to be the most challenging, time-consuming and confusing of all the tools for the poor middle-class financial survival toolkit. Because of this, I feel that an entire blog post needs to be dedicated to this issue. In addition, the other tools will also be on an additional post. ‘Out of the box,’ alternative housing is for the poor middle class of all ages, not only seniors.
1. Live Rent Free
2. Invest in a Tiny House
3. Relocate to another area, cheaper state or another country
4. Live Off The Grid

This housing discussion continues with the post, Affordable Housing.

 

 

 

Sources and Resources
Self-Storage Nation

The Viper Tool Storage Company

3 money smart reasons to donwsize

Home Downsizing 101

The Upside of Downsizing Your Home

California Billionaire Proposes Housing The Homeless In Shipping Containers

International Living

How to Downsize Forma Full-Time RV Lifestyle

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RAISING SOCIAL AWARENESS, The ALISON D. GILBERT Blog, THE ECONOMY & ENVIRONMENT

THE POOR MIDDLE CLASS HOUSING CRISIS

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HOUSING THE POOR MIDDLE CLASS
Safe, affordable housing is the foundation for poor middle class survival. How to find and create safe, affordable housing is the focus of this and several additional post in this series. But first, let’s look at housing from both a traditional, indigenous perspective and the modern, industrialized crisis it has become today.

TRADITIONAL INDIGENOUS HOUSING
There was a time, and still is a time when indigenous cultures build their own shelters. They use the materials at hand. To us ‘civilized’ folks, their homes may pale in comparison what the poor middle class have in the US. But when looked at from a different perspective, who is the poorer and who is the richer? The above photos display what I consider rustic but magnificent shelters. They are clean, dignified, well constructed and proudly held by their makers.

poor middle class housing
Indigenous, Traditional Shelters from Pinterest

THE CRISIS IN HOUSING
But ‘civilization’ brought about by our industrial age has changed all that in some place. Detroit, for example is a casualty of the demise of the auto manufacturing industry in that city. The working class, once gainfully employed as auto workers have been replaced by the poor middle class. They have fled the city. Anyone who can has left that city. It was left in ruins.

poor middle class housing crisis
Foreclosed Housing on Zillow

A TWO-FOLD CRISIS
But the crisis is two-fold. It is about foreclosure on the homes of the poor middle class due to the inability to pay their mortgages. It then also becomes about finding housing that is affordable, safe and decent. This brings us to the next part of the crisis. It is the need for alternative housing for the poor middle class due to a change in lifestyle affordability.

poor middle class housing
Foreclosure Defense from Christie D. Arkovich, P.A.

THE DOWNWARD LIFESTYLE JOURNEY
One of the most difficult parts of becoming a member of the poor middle class is that it is a downward lifestyle journey. This process involves letting go of new, even luxurious material things that we could once provide for ourselves. Then there needs to be an admission of needing help and an acceptance of getting that help from others. This is not glamourous. I have found that it can feel very humiliating. Then it becomes humbling because it is about survival.

ALTERNATIVE HOUSING
Alternative housing can involve pursuing traditional means of seeking less expensive housing. It can also involve some ‘out of the box thinking’ solutions. Either way all are potential and important tools to have in our Poor Middle Class Financial Survival ToolKit. They can include:
• Downsizing to a smaller residence
• Subsidized and senior housing
• Tiny Houses
• Living off the grid
• Moving to a cheaper area, state or country

A discussion about poor middle class housing resources begins in the next post, Poor Middle Class Alternative Housing.

 

 

 

SOURCES & RESOURCES
Dealing With Foreclosure

In Today’s Market, We’re A Hot Commodity

Foreclosed Housing on Zillow

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