Every taxpayer should read the “A House Divided,” a front-page article on Nov. 16, about the Maine State Housing Authority board calling for change.

The article states the agency’s mission is to provide affordable housing. My question is affordable for whom? Certainly not the taxpayers.

The article states the authority has funded four projects in the last three years with an average cost of $270,000 per unit. This agency funnels taxpayer money from state, federal and private funds.

And we wonder why these governments are broke and want more of our taxpayer money?

This is a good example of how bureaucrats spend other people’s money. Apparently $270,000 for subsidized housing units sets a standard in Maine. That being the case, then the majority of Maine taxpayers must live in substandard housing.

There is another consideration: Six apartment houses between Fairfield and Solon were auctioned off a couple of weeks ago by Keenean Auction Co. Private landlords competing against low subsidized housing rates and paying high taxes just doesn’t make sense.

The government should not use taxpayer money to compete against taxpayers. Thousands of Mainers have been forced to leave their homes because of the high cost of ownership.

Government’s role should be to find ways to reduce these expenses and keep taxpayers in their homes, not build or renovate buildings for low-cost subsided housing. Remember the authority’s mission: Provide affordable housing.

Rodney N. Rolfe

Skowhegan

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