Housing needs for workers fills first day discussion of Eagle Ford Shale conference in San Antonio
SAN ANTONIO — If there's a case study in the joys and pains of Eagle Ford Shale, it's the Dimmit County seat of Carrizo Springs.
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But there's a side effect to the work bringing new people to town. They're displacing those already living there.
"Property owners have raised the rent to such an extent that our stable population can no longer live in their homes," Dobie said.
Carrizo Springs CISD logged 85 homeless students last year, or those who bounced between relatives' or friends' homes because their parents don't have one. This year, there are more than 180, she said.
http://www.caller.com/news/2012/feb/29/housing-needs-for-workers-fills-first-day-of-in/
[font color=green]The article goes on to state that rents for a three bedroom house have escalated from $375-$400 a month prior to the boom to $1,500 a month. Hotels are booked up to 30 days which means that the occupants can be exempt from hotel taxes. The waiting time to find housing for new employees is taking as long as three to six months.[/font]
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The cost is that the permanent residents get displaced and any diversified economy this little town of Carrizo Springs had is going to get screwed. It's all being shifted to a temporary industry that's just going to pack up and leave as soon as they have their fill of gas. This one industry kind of economy is not sustainable. Especially when the industry is a fly by night kind of industry with a limited life time.
This town better be very wary of taking on any debt to support this industry. They'll just cut and run and leave the town and taxpayers on the hook for facilities and infrastructure they'll have to pay for.
