Similarly I have been the asker of help in recent years.
Help for others, yes; help for me, also true. It is hard to ask for help –
donations, time, product or a hand – because all too often the answer is ‘no.’ That
is difficult to hear. It is hard to not feel a personal rebuff. But that isn’t really
fair.
Whenever a group seeks assistance from the public for
donations or helping hands, or the gift of simple food stuffs, we must always
understand the complexity of life visits each of us differently at different
times. We are not always able to say yes even if we would like to. That is a
valuable lesson to learn and keep in mind!
Clearly some people are predisposed to help. Ask them
anytime and they give a resounding Yes! They are remarkable partners in the
community. They are not just lovers of humankind; they are sensitive and
knowing of needs that only other people can provide. These good people give the
most important kind of help: time, talent and caring. No money involved. They
give of themselves. What a treasure!
Opposite are those people who always ask: ‘What’s in it for
me?’ I have a living to make, expenses to cover. What will I get from this
activity?
I recently had a deep discussion on an idea I had for a
program. The discussion was among real estate professionals and I was picking
their brains for an alternative housing idea for elders in my town. Not all of
the input was bad or sour. But some was. It seems the lousy real estate market
has many people digging in to protect themselves while the markets continue in
the doldrums. My idea was to break through the normal constraints of the market
and do something different so everyone would benefit. But the self centered
feel this is wrong. Go figure! Fix the
problem for all; each gives up a little so the whole can regain health.
But I forgot the cardinal rule: some people simply cannot
give aid when they are feeling the hurt; they are not predisposed to help
others at those moments.
The solution? Keep pushing for other people who can help and
want to. Even need to.
There are those persons in our midst. They need to lend a
hand. It makes them feel good about themselves and their community. Even their
nation. We all often feel rewarded when we act together for the common good of
those in need. The response to tornado victims, or those caught in wide spread
flooding, forest fires or earthquakes. We send food, clothing, daily living
supplies and money. We watch TV coverage of the disaster and feel a need to be
a part of it. That’s all good. Those are values we were taught when we were
kids, but also we learned them from life itself. Help others less fortunate
than yourself. Along the way we got the message – our turn may come when we are
in need and will need a helping hand.
The current economy provides good lessons. There are
millions who have lost their nest egg and they are too old to replace those
lost dollars. There are millions who have lost careers and they will live
simply until the careers are replaced. There are those who have lost funds for
their kids’ education; those kids will still get an education, just not one at
the school of their choice; and they will take out loans to pay tuition! Not
ideal, but passable.
One lesson we should have learned is that humans are greedy
and distort ‘free markets.’ When that happens bubbles grow and burst. The
growing phase is heady and fun and exciting. The bursting phase is painful and
tragic to many. Fixing the brokenness takes cooperation, the kind that relies on
Congress and state legislatures, industry leaders in finance and investments,
and in the real estate industry. But we have not received such cooperation, not
really.
The White House sought help. They got it in several forms.
But grudgingly. Congress didn’t want political enemies to get credit for
solutions; only for blame. And that picture they confused beyond recognition.
So not much creative work was done. And who got hurt? The middle class; the low
income groups. Everyone else felt some pain but still made money and came out
somewhat whole.
Greed is ugly. Greed keeps us in ruts that are hard to get
out of. I’ll help you if you pay me a commission. I’ll do the legal work if you
pay me a retainer. I’ll invest in your project if you can guarantee me a reasonable
return, or large profit.
This is free market. There are no guarantees. But these
people demand it none the same. Meanwhile, renters are tossed out on the
street. Elders lose their homes. Senior citizens can’t find replacement
housing. Young families are losing their homes or at least are going through
several phases of foreclosure and near bankruptcy. Homeless populations have
swelled. Welfare roles are huge. Unemployment compensation has run out.
These are desperate times for many families. Many individuals.
Yet solutions are argued and debated to death in our places of legislation.
Endlessly argued. No help or too little too late to save many from
ignominy. Shame on elected officials
unable or unprincipled to solve the really big problems of our time.
Who cares who’s to blame? We need solutions and we need them
now.
We must do things differently if we expect different
results. Here’s a potential solution:
- Allow Home Owner Associations to contract with a property manager to handle only the foreclosed or empty units in their complexes
- Turn over control from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to the special property manager for three years; during that time, this agent will:
- Operate the vacant properties under lease to senior citizens and low income families, with a special focus on single parent families with children
- Housing units will be filled with skill matching in mind:
i.
Seniors needing care/attention to be provided by other
neighbors
ii.
Seniors provide child care for single parents while
they are out earning a living
iii.
Community support needs are provided by the residents
of the housing complex
- In three years the property values should be safeguarded from free fall, and hopefully rebuilt some; if not, the term is extended until property values do recover 20 or 30%
3. Mortgage
servicers will continue their billing and support services
This program idea recognizes and serves these needs:
- HOAs are battling a huge foreclosure and vacancy problem
- Dislocated residents are battling homelessness
- Communities are struggling to remain whole and healthy
- Common problems can be managed in common at the neighborhood level
- Stakeholders include municipalities, real estate industry, lenders, mortgage guarantors, and the local economy as a whole
If this program works, spread it to non-HOA neighborhoods
and stakeholders. Eventually the excess housing inventory will be absorbed and
prices stabilized sooner.
Together we can all make a difference if we suspend the
normal rules and make good things happen. Pretending that all things are normal
doesn’t work. It is a reality show with a guaranteed bad ending.
Can we work together for our common good? Or will we pretend
to?
April 11, 2012
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