Concerning the upcoming referendum on community housing: While the concept of generating an affordable housing fund is welcomed, the current structure of the proposal has strengths and weaknesses.
Assisting resident first-time homebuyers is probably the strongest point in the proposal. It would help keep local residents, just starting out, to find affordable housing and stay in the area.
The weakest part of the proposal is the composition of the boards that would determine how the revenue would be spent. There would be representatives from real estate, housing advocates, construction and other fields that are essentially advocates for rental construction. While not denying the need for good affordable rentals, there comes a point where saturation will occur.
With current and proposed affordable housing combined with future proposals that this tax would fund, the area’s infrastructure will not be able to sustain a large population influx. The area will become mush, like its western neighbors — crowded and overdeveloped.
These boards need to be balanced and restraints put in place to ensure that overdevelopment does not take place.
Forest Markowitz
Westhampton
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