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George Lucas Building Low-Income Housing Next Door To Millionaires
BarbaraHudson writes His neighbors wouldn't let him build a film studio on his land, so George Lucas is retaliating in a way that only the cream of Hollywood could — by building the largest affordable housing development in the area — and footing the entire $200 million bill, no government subsidies or grants. The complex of affordable housing, funded and designed by Lucas, would sit on 52 acres of land and provide homes to 224 low-income families, and there's very little his fellow Bay Area residents can do about it, because the land is zoned residential.
Well done George! if you have the money, and you can help other people, specially poor people, just do it!
-- Francisco Rivas C.
Bah, just screen every scene involving Jar Jar Binks on a continuous loop on a 50' tall screen.
That'll really piss them off.
Lost at C:>. Found at C.
As "fuck you"s go, that's about as morally commendable as it gets.
-Styopa
The linked article leaves out one important detail. This isn't about retaliation... Marin County Supervisor Steve Kinsey told the station: 'George Lucas said, "if I’m not going to do what I wanted to do there, what can I do that would be really beneficial to this community?"
Don't forget the houses need support infrastructure - roads, sewerage, utilities, but also 224 homes will need a community hall, a couple of shops, a decent pub, a medical centre and/or dentist and (given this is America) at least seven churches.
Only a portion of the spend will go on houses.
In the Bay area anyone making under $350,000 is considered low income.
It's so bad they have bread lines at Panera Bread stores.
Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
There is a decent chance the cost of the land is included, since he's providing it to this project as well. If you're putting together a press release proclaiming your good work (and I don't mean that as a criticism -- he definitely deserves the right to take credit for his work) you might as well make the numbers as complete as you can.
At $200M for 224 homes it sounds like he is building an upper middle class housing development. This does not sound like habitat for humanity-like helping the poor.
This guy....everything he touches turns to shit.
No, while his is sticking it up to his peers, the outcome is that 224 low income families will have affordable housing.
Sometimes you do the right thing for the wrong reason. Kudos to Mr Lucas.
1) Nobody says the tenants are buying the homes.
2) Nobody says Lucas is trying to recoup the costs of construction.
3) The total cost per unit is probably much higher if you factor in the value of the land.
FYI, low income housing is usually rentals. Many low income people have trouble saving for a down payment, much less get a loan from a bank, no matter how small the amount borrowed is.
The main problem with cheap rentals is the building's maintenance costs. Government subsidies are used to help with that usually. If Lucas isn't willing to bleed in the long term, at best, he's going to have to price the rentals for middle income, working class people. Which may still constitute "low income" in that part of California.
"If a nation expects to be ignorant and free in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be."
Look, we know it can't be a plot.
Lucas has demonstrated with the prequels that he doesn't understand 'plot'. ;-)
Lost at C:>. Found at C.
He didn't do it for the wrong reasons. For YEARS he tried to put a studio there, but they wouldn't budge, and insisted on the residential tag on his land. Finally, he said, ok, fine.
So he could have capitulated- which would frankly be ludicrous- or find a way to actually be smart with it, which is what he did.
This, by the way, is like the third coolest thing he's done, with Star Wars at 2 and 2+ billion to charity at 1.
If I had his money I'd be quickly scrambling to work out how to evade all authories on the entire planet, because I assume he'd want it back by any means?
To do something right, you often have to roll up your sleeves and get busy.
I'm sure the first building he builds will be pretty good, with hype to boot.
The second building will be the best one he ever builds.
The third building will have Ewoks.
I'd really hate to be the poor baster that ends up in a building after the third.
Revolution is the opium of the intellectuals.