When the baby boomers were growing up, homes were half the size of today and families were bigger. So why wasn’t it an epidemic back then?
Well, we “crowded” into one of our flats in the outskirts of Chinatown growing up. It was a 3 bedroom, 1 bath good sized flat for 7 people maximum at one point. Do the math.
It wasn’t a problem because the availability of housing was there at least. If you didn’t like where you were, you could find something. These days, you simply can’t find something within your desired current location.
“An overcrowded home is defined as one where the number of occupations is greater than the number of total rooms.”
It’s not clear whether the number of total rooms are just bedrooms or that includes living/dining/kitchen. If the latter, then in a 3-bed house overcrowding means more than 5 or 6 occupants (depending on whether there is a separate dining room or not). It seems fair that 6 people in a 3-bedroom house is a little crowded.
“Every additional person per room in a crowded home erases 1.5 years of a parent’s education achievement and, in turn, hinders the future learning outcomes for their children, according to Solari.”
This is hard to believe if everything else is being equal. Similar household income, similar level of education for parents, same number of residents, and just the number of bedrooms are different, and there is enough data to draw a conclusion for the 1.5 years per additional person per room? There are just way too many variables that makes this statement overgeneralized.
My nextdoor neighbor lived in his house since the 60s and they raised 4 kids in their 3-bed 1-bath house. The kids are all doing great and they seem happy. The 1-bath part seems tough for 2 parents and 4 kids so they probably have to plan it well every morning and every evening, but I guess it worked out ok.
Sounds like media hoopla about nothing.
My wife grew up in a 900 SF 3 room apartment in Moscow…The was no living room or dining room. 3 rooms a small bathroom and a kitchen…Originally shared by 2 families…Her mother lived there her whole life with her mother and her 2 kids…People survive tight quarters and kids adapt…But we are headed towards the same Stalinist conditions like that due to poor government policies, enviro nazies, nimbyies, rent control and toxic liberal politics
What does that even mean? Did I lose my last degree?
Those dreams where I never finished are coming true!
Seriously though. Feels to me like they are putting things backwards. “Children in overcrowded homes have worse health.” I doubt that’s because it’s overcrowded. Parents who can’t afford a larger home also can’t afford health care and nutritious food. Totally different.
Everyone in urban Asia from Japan to Korea to China lives in small apartments. Last time I checked their kids beat the socks off of American and European kids in math and sciences who live in mansions.
It’s just the media trying to use liberal guilt to shame us.
These journalists should become construction workers… We need solutions not problems
7 in a 3BR is actually OK per California Code.
[Max occupants] = 2 x [number of bedrooms] + 1
There are also rules about children of opposite gender sharing a bedroom… age 7+… not permitted.
The children can always claim they identify themselves as the opposite gender. Or refuse to say what gender they belong…
What did the code do for the 13 kids chained to their beds.
I looked. My landlord book doesn’t say anything about chains, and if the 13 kids + 2 adults = 15 ppl… had at least 7 bedrooms, the landlord is in the clear.
Some of the allegations are sickening…
My point is codes don’t help anybody. Codes are holding back new construction so they actually hurt more than help. Suspend all codes zoning and building regulations for 3 years and the housing shortage will be solved.
Where is the Calinfornia code for maximum occupants? Can landlord evict tenants if they overcrowd more than maximum number of people in a small house?
I have to find it. A quick google search yields:
" HUD recommends two persons per bedroom plus two for the overall rental unit. This would mean a one-bedroom rental may have up to four occupants and a two-bedroom rental may have as many as six.
The California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) recommends two persons per bedroom plus one additional person for the overall rental unit. In other words, three occupants in a one-bedroom rental and five occupants in a two-bedroom rental. "
The authority to search would be the “California Uniform Housing Code”.
But I am pretty sure that you cannot evict for overcrowding. You could evict claiming that there are more people living than what was disclosed on the rental application and specified in the rental agreement. It’s technically breaking the lease. They will always claim that those people are “just visiting”. I hear that every time, it’s impossible to refute. Don’t bother going to court with that.
It’s only a “recommendation”. I guess the court won’t do anything, they always like to bend their ways in favor of tenants
Uhmm… Seems like these rules are suggesting that people should be sleeping in the living room.
Can someone point to the boy/girl >7 rule? Never heard that before, but seems like most families have to be breaking that if they have two bedrooms and opposite sex kids.
Of course, manch is right that with the most current law, the kids can all declare themselves to all be nonbinary, so the rule is meaningless anyways.
My wife was living in a 3/2 condo in Changchun and her sister was living in a 3/2 in Beijing. They were very spacious, bigger than most here. Those are the only two I have ever seen in China. I wonder if that was an exception?