On the subject of “affordable” housing. Affordable to who?

Maine’s affordable housing crisis (“Our View: Despite headway, Maine’s housing crisis is deepening,” July 18) won’t be resolved until we decide to build housing affordable to the people who work in our communities. The Winter Landing and Equinox housing developments in Portland, for example, will provide almost 100 units affordable to households at between 50% and 60% of the current area median income (“Hospital to housing: Former site of Northern Light Mercy nears a rebirth,” July 9). But due in part to pandemic era in-migration, today’s area median income in Portland is $82,900. That’s 37% higher than it was just three years ago ($60,467 in 2019).

I’m reasonably sure that the schoolteachers, police, fire fighters, retail and restaurant workers who find local housing out of reach have not received 37% pay increases over the last three years. We need to set affordability standards so that the people whose work is essential to our community life can afford to live in the communities they serve.

Carlene Byron
Topsham

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