Rising prices.
Increasing costs.
Stagnant wages.
Escalating rents.
All of this adds up to very difficult times for young families.
With mishpachos grappling with the difficult financial situation, a sign went up in various locations in Lakewood, NJ pleading with local landlords to keep rental prices at bay.
The sign claims that rent has gone up fifty percent more than it previously was. This, it says, is eating up “a large chunk of a young couple’s budget” and has “become a monthly source of stress for many newly-married couples.”
“Starting married life with this kind of burden can have both a short term and lifelong impact on the financial stability of couples and their families.”
The sign goes on to state that when one landlord raises prices, it causes others to do the same, leading to a domino effect of escalating rental prices.
“Being mevater on some of the money you could charge is a mitzvah of chessed,” the siugn states. “It shows Hashem that you care about His bnei Torah that (sic) should be able to learn b’harchavas hadaas, and is a kiyum of the passuk ‘Hashleich al Hashem yehovcha.’”
The sign goes on to state a bit later that “teachers’ salaries barely (if even) cover a young couple’s expenses. With the soar in rent prices, can we expect women to choose teaching over a more lucrative profession?”
{Matzav.com}
“teachers’ salaries barely (if even) cover a young couple’s expenses”
You are right, Sir, that’s why you need to get up and do something about it and not just beg for a hand out.
The cost of buying a house has also doubled in the past year. Seller puts up house for sale at an asking price. Broker tells potential buyer that you have to putina bid at 100,000 more than that. Then gets or solicits bids for even more, pushing up the price even more. If the cost of buying is pushed up so much, the rentals will also go up.
Rules have to be put in place to prevent this craziness. i.e., no one may bid anything over the asking price. No one should pay more than a specofoc per square foot amount (price controls)
I only raised my rents 42%. So I am in good standing with the LRCc. I did right. Don’t blame me.
Remember rent is due by the 5th.
Wicked evil landlords. Preying on the less fortunate. This has been going on for millennia. How many stories of the wicked porutz have we heard over the years? Even some of the goyim, during the Holocaust, treated the fleeing/escaping Yidden better than these greedy arrogant Frum landlords. And the righteous goyim put their lives in danger and did it for FREE! I can only wish these landlords the worse. I hope they suffer.
I agree with you – Yesh Din viyesh Dayan – for your disgusting words and curse.
You will pay.
You should move to Russia or some communistic country where they would treat you as you wish.
BTW – I assume that you have stopped buying gas, paying your electric bills, and stopped purchasing food due to their “wicked” price increases.
Are you a yid?? Publish your real name so people will know who not to be meshadach with
Mein tash, mein tash, allles iz mein tash. Nemt nisht, gib yah, mein tash, mein tash, mein tash. Boro Park varten fahr di zelbe narishkeit.
I live near BMG in a newish home. My tenant is paying under 1500 for a beautiful 3 bedroom apartment. I see no reason to be a chazir.
There’s a reason that there is no name on this letter. This letter was clearly written with emotions and without logic.
The basis for the article is true but both the ones to blame for the situation and the conclusions are so far off that it seems to have been suggested by a teenager or perhaps a Bernie -loving socialist.
Now we sit back and wait for all the brilliant comments how no one has bitachon these days anymore. Everyone should just downsize and live in tents like our avos did in the midbar and a lot of issues will be resolved.
Here is why this will probably not work:
Someone owns a house for 10 years, and his tenant is moving out. We can ask him to keep the price of the lease the same, since his mortgage has not grown, and he is not losing out. Sounds good?
Now we look at someone who is building new construction, or purchasing a home now. Prices for land, construction and existing homes have skyrocketed, and in order to be able to afford the home, he needs to rent out his basement for a price as high as he can get. Due to the shortage of apartments in Lakewood, he can go quite high. He is forced to do this to get the home, shouldn’t he do what free-market and halacha allow?
Now his older brother, the first person in the story, hears that the younger one is renting for double what his original tenant paid. What do you think he will do? Don’t forget, even though his mortgage is the same, his groceries, gas and clothing cost more as well, and he could use the extra income…
I used to look at these things in much the same way. But, guess what, landlords need to keep up with inflation to maintain services and stay solvent. Are we also telling providers of other key goods and services to operate with lower margins or at a loss? Businesses have to meet their payroll obligations, too.
Everything you’re saying applies to groceries as well. Why is the landlord always the bad guy??
I hadn’t realized that rents went up so drastically. My tenants are paying prices from a decade ago. As soon as I read this, I called my tenants and went up by 50%. Inflation affects landlords too you know.
I would like to plead to the Grocery and their suppliers to keep grocery prices at yheir old prices as well. No one can really afford the higher prices. We will encourage the Groceries and their suppliers to take the “loss” as a donation to all Yeshivah ‘light’.
Can you please provide me with a nice nusach ? I’ll sign it not you.
When is your flight to Orlando?
BMG raised a huge sum to raise Kollel checks by almost 8k a year with the result that every extra penny ends up into landlords pockets.
If they would only take this sum and sort out a cheaper solution in an area half hour away with less demand they would allow yungerleit to be able to focus on learning for many years and not go to work immediately so as to be able to afford Lakewood housing prices.
This is something Satmar had done in KJ, why didn’t Lakewood take that money and do the same?
And the new project at Georgian Court will help apartment costs, not long term housing for couples.
We need the rabbonim to provide rent stabilization for the food basics? More important that simcha takanos
Everything in Lakewood has increased in recent years. Considering the latest articles in the frum publications – there is a lack of workers in Lakewood, and jobs are paying OVER market rate to hire. Not menial work, but high end managers. Even head hunting workers from Manhattan to run buisnesses in Lakewood. There is no shortage of jobs for those that want.
Those that CHOOSE to rent instead of owning a home, pay much less than those who pay a mortgage. So if you want to pay for anything – a mortgage or rent – just go and get a higher paying job. If you want to sit in kollel – thats great too – just demand that the kollel keeps up with inflation and pays better too.
Maybe we should be putting up signs to tell people to cut down on their budget and maybe downgrade from the high standards set but many. Eat out less often, cut down on the price of your children’s clothing, maybe even on what you push you child in. Fortunately or unfortunately there are many ways for the average young couple to help them pay rent, never mind maybe think of a smaller apartment.
My point it’s not to bash but get your priorities right!
Maybe this is a good time to learn what is important and what is not, What is a need what is a want.
Please think about this before you call me a hater.
Who says that all these people have to live in Lakewood?
Who said it’s a chiyuv to live in Lakewood where you are just another worthless number?
The ones who complain the loudest are the ones who voted for DemocRATs who are causing this inflation. A word to those who vote for DemocRATs: IDIOTS!!
Move out of town – it is cheaper and you can find a kollel to be part of.