In his book, Sunbelt Blues: The Failure of American Housing, Andrew Ross examines the state of housing in Osceola County, FL. Once the main approach to Disney World, where vacationers found lodging on their way to the Magic Kingdom, the fifteen-mile Route 192 corridor in Osceola has become a site of shocking contrasts. At one end, global investors snatch up foreclosed properties and park their capital in extravagant vacation homes for affluent visitors, eliminating the county’s affordable housing in the process. At the other, underpaid tourist industry workers, displaced families, and disabled and elderly people subsisting on government checks cram themselves into dilapidated, roach-infested motels, or move into tent camps in the woods. We discuss how ineffective government planning, property market speculation, and poverty wages have combined to create this catastrophe, and what solutions are available.
Plus, in this episode, Laura continues to advocate for Christmas music out of season, and Cameron drops a Sherlock Holmes reference. Follow the show on Twitter at @HousingPodcast and send us a note at [email protected]. Don’t forget to subscribe and give us a five-star rating. Thank you for listening!
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