For someone who lost the family home, and a job along with it, this seems like it would be a dream come true. It’s possibly not the most attractive pkace in the world, but hey, when you have nothing, anything works.
So I am utterly baffled by the fact that they can’t find a taker. Ok, it’s in Pennsylvania, but so many of these people are already uprooted that I can’t see that being such a big factor that no one wants this house.
Bizarre. Anyone have any thoughts into why it would be so hard to give away a home and a job?
It could be rather an expensive place to live overall, or have a poor job market. I read a story that said all of the hurricane refugees sent to shelters in San Francisco quickly left the entire area on their own when they realized that there was no way they could get a low-wage job and afford anywhere locally to live. A lot of the people displaced quite frankly would prefer to go back to where they were pretty much.
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I meant to quote the part of the article that said that there are currently 57 Katrina families living in York, all are currently living with other family members.
I can understand not wanting to up stakes to some completely strange part of the country, but if they’re already there, and there’s also a job on offer… I guess I have a hard time seeing what there would be to lose by taking the deal.
You’re not crazy. My only thoughts that might mitigate :
A. Are there any unmentioned strings … for instance HFH doesn’t give houses right? Don’t you have to pay back a minimum mortgage each month and agree to live there like 5 years? It really isn’t a “free” house. It is a freakin’ great deal and a hand-up…especially to someone who lost theier home with no place to go … but free is misleading (I think)
B.What Job is being offered? I get: “You are on the street take any job” - OK. But how about if you are a Licensed Daycare Worker or autotech or LawTemp used to making $21-28K a year, now living with your sister-in-law and the job being offered is Home Depot clerk or Popeyes cook. Are you really going to JUMP at that? That strikes me as a possible scenario here.
C. How is this being offered? In our area a Priest rented a bus and drove down to shelters and started offering rides to MD , free place to stay & get on your feet…largely besides apathy and “I don’t want to Leave/go North’s” He got alot of distrust and fear – shell shocked people who didn’t want to be hustled OR be the poster case for Poor people with camera’s pointed at thier face.
Some possiblities. On the face of it though I agree with your reasoning. You are not crazy.
Nope, that’s it. You’re talking about relocating Southern folks into a climate where snow falls so badly that it can get up past your ass. And you wonder why they won’t move there? They got better sense than that.
Plus, those in the area have something solid right now. They’ve just lost everything, they’ve been on the losing end of uncertaintity & risk is a huge way, and I find it more than reasonable that they’re not in the mood to jump at an opportunity that’ll involve any real assumption of stress, change, or risk. I think it’s perfectly believable; I’d probably do the same thing.
A five bedroom house means there is probably A LOT of childcare involved, and one entry-level job just isn’t going to cut that, even without rent. Add in the costs of being away from your support network (rides, babysitting, the occasional loan) and the new costs of heating and buying winter clothes, and you’ve got a bad (or at least risky) scene.
These people don’t want new lives, they want their old lives back. They don’t want to survive- they want real lives and they want to start building again on the hopes and dreams they had before the hurricane.