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Rent is up 30% across the country, and home prices have increased about 12%. So, when a small town proposed an affordable housing development, why did Dave Chappelle appear to shut it down?
Chappelle invested millions in this town, including a comedy club and restaurant. Aside from being a business owner, he’s also a local landlord, meaning he’ll always act within his own best interest.
He claims the development doesn’t meet the town’s needs and actually isn’t affordable at all – but does his reasoning add up?
The housing development’s prices range from $250,000 to $600,000, which sounds expensive – but the minimum price is still under the local average.
Opponents wanted a more-affordable, better solution. So did the majority of members of the town, according to a Housing Needs Assessment. But because of the opposition, it seems the community will get nothing.
According to Slate, because the affordable housing plan was turned down, the developer can now build more expensive, single-family homes without the need for community approval.
Our economic system forces us to choose between “half-baked” solutions that aren’t good enough – or nothing. Affordable housing is a necessity, and should be prioritized. The people in a community should decide what its needs are. Wealthy developers – and celebrities – shouldn’t be the ones making decisions on behalf of local residents!