‘Affordable’ housing is a sham

Dear Editor:

What a grand name: Community Resources and Housing Development Corporation's new housing community, Alta Vista de la Montana in North Delta. Now that's a mouthful, and we can be assured that the price tag accompanying this project is equally grand.

We are told that "the development provides 40 units of affordable housing to farmworkers, agricultural workers and their families..." Why are only farmworkers eligible to apply? A fair consideration is the cost of each unit. We are told that the project has a bottom-line development cost of $7.9 million, which (assuming no budget overruns) brings us to $197,500 per unit.

"Everyone should have access to safe, decent and affordable housing..." said CRHDC executive director Al Gold. Has such access become a right? If so, when? And who is required to financially support this benefit since clearly the select residents cannot? The number of hardworking families in our area who can only dream of housing worth nearly $200,000 per unit — provided with a guarantee that their housing costs will not exceed 30 percent of their yearly pay — is legion. This is affordable housing? No, this, is a sham.

Alan Metcalfe

Delta

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