Shaun Kenney | Politics and Religion in Virginia's Public Square


Monday, September 22, 2003 Doors Slam Shut on Affordable Housing Concern number one regarding the impact of growth on Fredericksburg. Well. . . on my list that is probably sprawl and the effects on the environment. But concern number two is most definitely the impact it has on working families and fixed-income residents. Affordable housing is a big part of that, and I am relieved to see that the Free Lance-Star is starting to pay attention to the issue: The housing market and industry have become unfriendly to poor families, and to young people just starting out. That has become abundantly clear in the Fredericksburg region over the past decade as the prices of new and resold housing--propelled by rising land costs--have skyrocketed. "Affordable housing" has become the oxymoron of the 21st century. Fannie Mae's predictable view is that business is business, and that despite the trillion dollars in ongoing business it does, it must make up for all those loans gone bad. Those who suffer, however, are the prospective buyers who were just achieving the financial goals necessary to buy a home--only to see fees, down payments and, of course, interest rates rise to the point that they are once again priced out of the market. Once again, those who strive to live within their means are hurt by those who blithely overextend themselves. The result is a wider gap between the haves and the have-nots in this country, and a growing population of fellow Americans who live in the shadows of mountains of wealth. Smart growth initiatives - wrongly applied - only exacerbate the problem. Who wants to build a bunch of townhomes when it is more cost effective for planners to build $400K homes on five acre lots? Fewer kids to educate, and more tax dollars for localities. Damn shame. . . posted by Shaun Kenney \| 9/22/2003 10:15:00 AM \| 0 comments 0 Comments: Post a Comment Home
	RedStormPAC $ JEFFERSONIAD POLL: Whom do you support for Virginia Attorney General? 1) John Brownlee 2) Ken Cuccinelli View Results About ShaunKenney.com is one of Virginia's oldest political blogs, focusing on the role of religion and politics in public life. Shaun Kenney, 30, lives in Fluvanna County, Virginia. Contact E-mail RSS/Atom Feed The Jeffersoniad Archives March 2002 April 2002 May 2002 June 2002 July 2002 August 2002 September 2002 October 2002 November 2002 December 2002 January 2003 February 2003 March 2003 April 2003 May 2003 June 2003 July 2003 August 2003 September 2003 October 2003 November 2003 December 2003 January 2004 February 2004 March 2004 April 2004 May 2004 June 2004 July 2004 August 2004 September 2004 October 2004 November 2004 December 2004 January 2005 February 2005 June 2005 July 2005 August 2005 September 2005 October 2005 November 2005 December 2005 January 2006 February 2006 March 2006 April 2006 May 2006 June 2006 July 2006 August 2006 September 2006 October 2006 November 2006 December 2006 January 2007 February 2007 April 2007 June 2007 July 2007 August 2007 September 2007 October 2007 November 2007 December 2007 January 2008 February 2008 March 2008 April 2008 May 2008 June 2008 July 2008 August 2008 September 2008 October 2008 November 2008 December 2008 January 2009