Affordable Housing Fight Will Not Let Up
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MORE than a decade ago, the General Assembly passed legislation forcing many towns and cities that lacked substantial affordable housing to approve such housing developments in their communities. Ever since then towns, many of them affluent, have been crying foul, insisting the mandate provides undue advantage to developers who use the law to force local zoning boards to approve high density, massive housing developments that only include a minimum of affordable units that are not really all that affordable. Town officials maintain the developments put an undue strain on town services, are far too dense, worsen already existing traffic and pollution problems and add too many students to their already swelling school systems. But proponents insist housing, particularly affordable housing, is so desperately needed in many suburban towns that even moderate-income households cannot afford to pay the rent there, let alone buy a home or condominium. These advocates said the affordable housing mandate that forces towns to approve developments that include affordable housing, which can cover a vast range of rents as low as a few hundred dollars a month to more than $2,000 — may be even more needed today than when originally established in 1989. Towns with fewer than 10 percent of their housing stock deemed affordable under complex state guidelines can be forced by the courts to approve the developments, even after the applications are denied by local zoning boards and town councils. They said the law is needed to counter opposition in suburban towns because of racism, classism, fear of diminishing property values and often just an effort by towns to reject anything they believe will lead to bigger budgets and higher taxes.’ More : query.nytimes.com |