Find another place, please

Sunrise in Cape Elizabeth

— Photo by Erin McDaniel (Erinmcd)

Adapted from Robert Whitcomb’s “Digital Diary,’’ in GoLocal24.com

Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee’s administration has just approved spending nearly $31 million in state funds for 23 affordable-housing projects, for a total of 600 units in 13 cities and towns. Sounds nice, but I wonder how this will play out in certain localities, some of which have many poor people and some with quite a few wealthy ones.

It's often close to impossible to put affordable housing in an affluent town. For example, I just came across a Portland Press Herald story of how foes of a project called Dunham Court, in toney Cape Elizabeth, Maine, have killed the project, which was to include a 46-unit apartment building near Cape Elizabeth’s town hall and within walking distance of a supermarket, pharmacy, public schools, community center, police and fire station and the Thomas Memorial Library. The proximity to these services would have decreased the need for the low-income renters to take on the expense of cars. Oh, well.

Affordable housing is scarce in Greater Portland, as it is in many places. Well-off people don’t want poorer people near them. This is part of the reason for “snob zoning,’’ which includes such things as high minimum acreage requirements. Of course, this limits the construction of new housing, which raises prices and makes housing even less affordable for moderate and low-income people.

To read about the Rhode Island plan, please hit this link.

To read about the Dunham Court collapse, please hit this link.