Quote:
Originally Posted by TakeFive
Reality?
I don't significantly disagree and you did start out speaking of college grads. You've also provided examples of areas that can accommodate lower payscale people.
Originally you made reference to "central Denver" which could mean different things. But....
Downtown Denver provides a lot of jobs. Soon the hotel room count will surpass 9,000. That's a lot of jobs. There is easily over 1,000 probably closer to 1,500 retail establishments.
That's a lot of jobs. Employees which make businesses successful and profitable need convenient, accessible housing to get to their job. That's just... |
Paying, of course, enough money for someone to live outside the core, and take the bus downtown, preferably on a local bus.
Downtown Denver, like all growing downtowns in the US, runs on people making $10 - 15/hour. People washing dishes, cooking, retailing, and cleaning. These ancillary occupations, IMO, constitute somewhere around 50% of downtown employment.
Such support jobs in downtown areas for over a century have not provided enough income for people to live downtown, and, workers performing such tasks historically have lived outside of the urban core where housing costs are relatively low. Those who work downtown in ancillary jobs cannot live there, and, if they choose to live close by in (relatively) low rent areas, have to put up with increased crime. Those with children that work low end jobs in downtown districts also worry about the safety of their children and the quality of schools.
Building government (on any level) subsidized housing for ancillary workers seldom works. Consequently, IMO, efforts to financially assist such workers need to be directed towards frequent, 24x7*, safe, local bus service in a 45 minute time distance radius from downtown.
*Imagine having to take public transportation (or walk a good distance) home after cleaning a bar that closes at 2:00a, for example.
EDIT: The cheapest way to assist low end workers is to have subsidized bus passes through employers. For workers with a stable work history, I can see no reason why monthly bus passes should not be free.
Threaded Mode