Poll: In Your Backyard?
The former Somerville Boys & Girls Club
The building that formerly housed the Somerville Boys & Girls Club could become the Somerville Community Corporation’s next affordable housing project. After purchasing the building in February, the group has shared plans for a 40-unit complex for low income residents.
The plan is controversial. At a recent community meeting, some said Union Square already has its fair share of affordable housing, and that other development is needed for the square to thrive. A community group called Union Square Rising is also accusing the SCC of playing on class warfare to get the project approved.
What do you think? Is Union Square in danger of becoming unaffordable for working families? Should the SCC be looking to Davis Square instead? Take our poll, and let us know what you think in the comment section.
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“Affordable housing” is not poor people’s housing, no matter what rhetoric is used. As a landlord on Union Square, I charge the same $1200 SCC would charge, and house two very nice tenants who work for a living. If these remarkably angry neighbors knew just a little more they’d be very, very grateful for SCC’s plan to create offices and affordable units that neither block their view nor generate too much traffic, a block from where, when Route 28 loses its falling down bridge, a whole new traffic pattern will emerge. They should do some homework before they open themselves to obvious arguments for affordability: it could go to the Homeless Coalition or the Housing Authority, and then they’d see a very different bunch of neighbors. Who, by the way, are right across the street from the cops… Maybe we ought to invite DYS and DOC for a post-release program, given that location?
The second option of “I support it, just not here” should be eliminated. If you do not support someting in your backyard, you do not support it, period. On the plus side for opponents, this means the “No’s” are almost 20 percent!
I agree that the “just not here” option makes no sense, but why should we prevent hypocritical NIMBYists from outing themselves?