The Death of YMCA Housing and What Japanese Internet Cafés Can Teach Us
12 hours ago
- #generational-divide
- #affordable-housing
- #urban-policy
- The YMCA once provided affordable housing and services for young men, but this has largely disappeared, replaced by suburban fitness centers.
- Historically, YMCA housing was sustainable on low wages, but today's affordable housing costs are exorbitant, with subsidized units costing around $500,000 to develop in the Bay Area.
- Municipalities have used regulations like zoning and building codes to eliminate Single Room Occupancy (SRO) housing, drastically reducing available units in cities like New York, San Francisco, and Chicago.
- In contrast to the past, where the YMCA and churches built extensive housing, modern policies and generational disparities have made affordable housing scarce for younger generations.
- Japan and Korea have successfully used internet and manga cafés as affordable housing solutions, operating in regulatory gray zones to meet the needs of low-wage workers.
- California's ADU (Accessory Dwelling Unit) laws have shown that deregulation can rapidly increase housing supply, with permits skyrocketing from 1,000 in 2016 to over 24,000 by 2022.
- The article highlights a generational divide in housing access, with older generations often opposing new housing developments, while younger generations face record debt and high living costs.
- The author argues for the moral and practical need to revive affordable housing options, drawing lessons from historical models and international examples like Japan's manga cafés.