Arnold, CA…If you are reading this odds are that you can’t afford the American Dream. If the premise of the U.S. is life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness then after 250 years by most measurements we have fallen behind on almost all metrics since 1957.

We are not happier, and even the pursuit of happiness seems almost foolish for many. Here in California Governor Gavin Newsom recently put out a press release on an affordable home ownership bill that will be on the November ballot. What was most damming for those in leadership of both parties is that it revealed that 83% of Californians cannot afford a median priced home & most cannot afford any form of home ownership.

A quick look of the basics appears that it will be a kind of rent control for home ownership. While it may help you get into a home. It will limit the upside on your home as it still needs to remain “affordable housing” for 50 years. Will it help some? Maybe, but is it a solution for most? Of course not.

Even if you are fortunate enough to be one of the 17% of our local population that can easily afford your lifestyle you probably have the gnawing feeling that life is not ok. We have more knowledge than at anytime in mankind’s history. We have literally that accumulated knowledge of recorded history instantly available to us. Yet, on most metrics we were happier and closer to meaningful lives 70 years ago.

The true measure of an America that is actually working for it’s people is an economy where even someone working full time at a minimum wage job can own a home. Not given to them but earned and built but their own labor, grit and toil.

In Ben Franklin’s 1735 edition of Poor Richards Almanac he published what many believe it the best description of the American Dream. “A little House well fill’d, a little Field well till’d, and a little Wife well will’d, are great Riches.” He published this a full 41 years before our nation was even formed. 291 years later it is still the best version of the American Dream.

Let’s get busy and help each other reach what was our original and best version of our dreams.

About hewn.co
At Hewn we are going take you on a journey to see if it is still possible to build a functional, small homestead that anyone, even someone making minimum wage can build and own. We are going to try this in California no less. Join us as we attempt to build an off grid, solar powered, rustic, pioneer style homestead.

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