Episode 11: More about Golden
Hi there!
You're getting this email because you subscribed via climbersguide.co, josh.works, or intermediateruby.com.
I have a lot on deck to write about software, and hiring. On that note, I happen to know some amazing early-career Ruby/Rails engineers. They're hunting for their first job. If you are looking to hire an early-career engineer, I'd love to introduce you to some people that can knock it out of the park. Hit reply, let me know. For now, this email is going to be about housing.
Why housing? You can have the best job and the most amazing salary, but if you spend all your money on housing, you're not actually in a good spot. I'd like to get Golden to a state of affordability, which I define as someone getting a room (ideally a studio) for $300-500/mo. That's my goal, that's what I'm working for.
I'm deeply frustrated with the state of affairs in Golden. It is possible, and reasonable, and expected, to have affordable, adequate housing here.
My next door neighbors are moving out, because they've wanted to buy a house for years, couldn't afford any in Golden, and finally purchased a house in Lakewood. They're probably going to move, assuming the sale goes through, and it breaks my heart. I'd much preferred for them to figure out how to buy their property from their landlord, who's been out of state for like two decades. He just soaks it for a ton of rent money.
My neighbors across the street, who have been renting their house for a few years, are being thrown out in about a month, by the landlord, who might have a buyer for their lot at about $800k.
There's dozens of other properties for sale around Golden. Nearly all of them are very, very expensive. It is, in fact, illegal to break lots up into reasonable (small) sizes and sell them at an affordable rate. I might be able to afford a lot that is 2000 sq feet, for example, at $50 per square foot (that lot would cost $100k) but I cannot afford a 4000 sq foot lot, even if it's 20% cheaper per square foot, at $40 per sq foot. ($160,000).
Writings
I've written a bit in the last few months, like this piece on depression.
I'm also working on some specific "policy pieces", making a case for why the city council in Golden, along with the Planning department, needs to make some very specific changes to laws, ASAP.
Long story short, Golden doesn't have to be unaffordable. Unaffordable housing is always a result of bad political management. I know that's a strong statement, but bear with me. The reason everything is expensive is because of laws written long ago by powerful white people who didn't want black people (or anyone who was a member of a long list of undesirable populations) to live in their neighborhoods.
Golden still has all of these laws on the books, and are actively making decisions that wreck the well-being of everyone in the city, and the wellbeing of anyone who would maybe someday live in the city.
So, if the city is actively taking actions that hurt the population, and it's refusing to do the kinds of things that stop causing additionnal hurt (like reforming racist zoning laws), it seems likely that it isn't interested in actually improving things.
I've participated in many meetings where it's screamingly obvious that one of two things are happening:
- No one has any idea why things are so expensive, and they therefore need another few years to examine the situation, and maybe will figure out a solution in 2025.
- Everyone knows exactly what's happening, but they're so happy that the status quoe is keeping "undesirable" people out of the city, they don't actually want to do anything about it. They LIKE Golden being unaffordable.
I'm exploring what my options are if they don't make those changes. Lawsuits! I might be suing the city, to basically say:
Basically, get rid of harmful laws. Of course, the laws were created with the goal of hurting black people.
For example, the supreme court said you couldn't target black people with your laws, so the same group of people that got their redlining scheme rejected figured out this zoning thing.
From Wikipedia:
I just finished reading White Too Long: The Legacy of White Supremacy in American Christianity. It's compelling. It pairs well with The Color of Compromise: The Truth about the American Church’s Complicity in Racism and The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America
If you consider yourself to be a follower of Christ, email me back, I've got some things I'd like to discuss with you.
Now, modern zoning is why we have horrible cities and structural oppression and institutional racism. So, we need to undo it. Large, bad institutions don't willingly relinquish power. I think between lawsuits, public pressure, and newspaper involvement, the collection of people holding all the political power in Golden can be moved in the right direction.
-Josh
PS: Per what I wrote in the piece on depression, I've been "out of the groove" for a while, I'm trying to get back into it. That means more emails, more updates, more conversations about how you can all help me fix the brokenness in Golden. Thanks for reading.
PPS: Are any of you lawyers, and amenable to what I've been writing? I'm new to the legal industry, and am rapidly getting my feet underneath me. I'd love to bounce some questions of you, if you're willing. Hit reply and let me know.