Hunger Is Not a Disease

Did your landlord reduce your rent?

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I got an email survey question yesterday.

“Did your landlord reduce your rent?”

Somehow, I can’t get this question out of my head.  It just keeps grabbing my attention at every opportunity.  What a question!

The answer is “NO!”

No landlord has lowered anyone’s rent in this area.  Rents are going up, up, and up.  In fact, rents are disappearing.

My landlord is evicting my neighbors.  They live in  one half of the duplex next door.    The other side is air bnb…or maybe vrbo…or any one of several other vacation rental apps so popular on everyone’s computer and phone.

Until last year, both sides of the duplex were vacation rentals.  Then, the town supervisor cracked down on them so the landlady  made one side a monthly rental.

Immediately, a lovely young couple moved in.  They are the perfect tenants.  No noise, no clutter, no smells, no noisy children.  Their footprint is the smallest they can manage.

Well, small footprint or no footprint, their days are numbered.

I see them packing up their possessions and driving them away – a few cartons every day.  The boxes are going to a storage unit until they can find a new place to live.  So far, they’ve had no luck.

They want to stay in Woodstock because this is their home town.  Growing up, Gaby skated and bicycled on every street in this town.

Well, there are no places to rent in this town.  Woodstock is a vacation rental town all the way.

This lovely young couple seeks shelter in other communities:  Palenville, Catskill, Athens.

Meanwhile,  the landlord eagerly advertises both units as vacation rentals.  The young couple must go.  His list of eager vacationer applicants  is long.  He’s sorry the young couple has no home.

But, life must continue.

Thank you for reading this article.

Please refer it to your preferred social media network.

Thurman Greco

Woodstock, New York