And before anyone says it: “But at least parking lots are more aesthetically pleasing than Soviet khrushchevkas and panelkas.” And: “But China has ghost cities!”
Quick explainer: Khrushchevkas were the low-rise mass housing blocks from the Khrushchev era: thin walls, tiny kitchens, built fast and cheap. Panelkas came later under Brezhnev, taller and made of prefab concrete panels, equally grim. Both defined Soviet urban landscapes for decades. Both were cramped, often poorly insulated, and not visually inspiring. But sure, tell me a parking lot is an upgrade.
Also Khrushchevkas were built because a lot of existing housing was destroyed during the war, and USSR needed to house millions of people quickly.
Weird that they didn’t just give them access to parking lots, that would have been way faster.
A lifeline or ‘dystopian’?
Yes, and drop the scare quotes.
Who can afford a trailer these days? Those things are as expensive as houses used to be.
They drop in value when used, which a lot of upper middle class are probably offloading right now.
Also you can get financing on them, and while they aren’t cheap, you can buy them for a lot less than a home.
Check FB marketplace and craigslist. Used and rundown RVs are a dime a dozen. They’re not built to last, they’re built to sell to boomers, get used twice, then get sold off by the kids once the owner dies.
I got one for a few grand and lived in it for a couple years.
If it wasn’t for my kid, I’ve thought about doing the same. Without having to pay rent, you’d recoup what you spend within a year. You just have to find a friend and hook up at their house, because space rental (whether KOA or park) will add up waaaaay too fast.
Lifeline or dystopian? Yes. Yes it is.
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