Letter: There is a Right to Housing, Not to a Location
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To the Editor:
A recent op-ed regarding the housing crisis was absolutely right and absolutely wrong. There is definitely deep frustration regarding the cost of real estate. The writer was correct about an existing right to having adequate shelter. But there is no prerogative that allows you to insist upon where you live.
It was my immense good fortune to grow up in West Hartford during the 50s, 60s, and 70s. The experiences and memories shaped my character and values, for better or worse. Nothing makes me prouder than my Sedgwick Junior High School friendships that flourish to this day. The town continues to be one of my favorite destinations.
House hunting during the 1980s real estate bubble was not for the faint of heart. Naturally my dream was to live where I grew up. However, having just started a career with no appreciable savings made that impossible. The notion that the government had to force someone to sell me a house in my favorite neighborhood was ridiculous. Supply and demand was at work. Everyone understood that you purchased a home to fit your budget.
There is much lamenting about the American dream no longer existing. That is not accurate. It still exists but it was never easy. Too many people don’t want to do the heavy lifting so they distract from an issue with deceptive language. Unfortunately, these buzzwords have seeped into many housing discussions. A few examples are: affordability, equitable and opportunity hoarding. It is an attempt to accomplish a goal by appealing to emotions and not reality.
It is easy to sympathize with the frustration surrounding housing prices. They are exorbitant and there does not seem to be much relief on the horizon. Couple it with the every day cost of living and the widespread anger is understandable. However, an age old adage remains the same. You’re suppose to live within your means.
Fairness is a lovely concept, it just doesn’t apply to economics. West Hartford is one of my favorite places in the whole world. It is among the nation’s most esteemed communities. That is a result of the town’s effective stewardship and its ability to resist succumbing to feel good political winds. West Hartford should not take the political real estate bait and endanger its success.
Vincent Turley
Hartford
Vincent, thanks for your interesting letter. I think there are many issues with your argument. First of all, on a national level, voter frustration about cost of living is completely unsustainable and has manifested itself in the re-election of Donald Trump. This frustration is most evident in young voters and those who are not in the asset-owning class. Democrats have a very well-deserved reputation of not having the courage and ability to address the basic economic needs of their constituents — California, New York, and Massachusetts are the prototypical examples, but Connecticut isn’t far behind. Underbuilding housing is probably one of the greatest failures of these largely blue states, resulting in unaffordable home prices while enriching those who got in early, or as you put it, “had immense great fortune.” As I’ve already pointed out, this is a failure of the social contract and it is socially and politically destabilizing. We are a country that should be all about the middle class, and those who aspire to it. People should be able to work hard and get ahead. Unsustainable increases in housing costs threaten that dynamic. This is extremely critical for a place like West Hartford because, despite recent price trends, we still are at the footslope of that trendline. We still have affordable pockets in town but those will disappear if we don’t act decisively. We aren’t in a situation like the suburbs of Boston or Fairfield County – yet.
Your point about “there is a right to housing, but not location” is certainly the debate of our time. Everyone acknowledges that the housing situation is untenable, but a lot of people just think their particular town shouldn’t be a part of the solution because of x, y, or z reason. If we don’t build housing and hoard opportunity for ourselves, we homeowners certainly become a lot richer. Our town will become unaffordable for many. If you have children (or grandchildren) and they decide to become a nurse, teacher, police officer, secretary, or pretty much anything in the humanities, they won’t be able to come back and live here. To re-purpose a common complaint about housing, failure to address the housing crisis would change the character of our town.
My family moved to West Hartford because we want to live and raise our children in a truly diverse town. It’s a marvel that our schools are routinely ranked among the top in the state, yet we serve and elevate a huge number of kids who come from less wealthy backgrounds. We didn’t move to Avon, Simsbury, or Glastonbury. We chose to live HERE. I think West Hartford’s success is not being a wealthy enclave. We are successful and special because we aspire to something bigger than that. Not building enough housing threatens our town’s identity as a place where everyone can succeed.
Vincent, every generation has its challenges. I don’t mean to insinuate that your generation had it “easy” or that you didn’t have to do “heavy lifting.” But you need to take a look at the cold hard numbers. Look at the cost of education. Look at the average student debt. Look at the cost of childcare. Look at the average cost of housing compared to the average income. Look at tax policy. Look at the transfer of wealth that has taken place over the last 30 years. And it’s not just Boomer to Millennial anymore. I’m a Millennial and when I look at the economic pressures that Gen Z faces, I worry a great deal. I got onto the housing/asset ladder early enough that I’ve been insulated and in fact enriched by post-pandemic economic trends. Every generation has its challenges, but I think every generation has the responsibility to be a good steward for the next generation, and to preserve that middle class social contract that makes America (oh no, I’m going to say it) great.