{"id":8813,"date":"2026-09-09T23:09:03","date_gmt":"2026-09-09T23:09:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=8813"},"modified":"2026-09-09T23:09:03","modified_gmt":"2026-09-09T23:09:03","slug":"letters-the-question-we-should-ask-is-why-so-few-affordable-homes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=8813","title":{"rendered":"Letters: The question we should ask is, ‘Why so few affordable homes?’"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Submit your letter to the editor via this form. Read more Letters to the Editor.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The question is \u2018why so few affordable homes?\u2019<\/h4>\n

Re: \u201cHigh earners, low rents: 1 in 8 pay below market\u201d (Page A1, Sept. 6).<\/p>\n

Regarding the article about a couple earning $300k and \u201conly\u201d paying $1,800 a month rent, the framing question is, \u201cWhy are they allowed to stay?\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more New Apple CEO unveils latest iPhone lineup, including foldable model<\/a><\/p>\n

This is absolutely the wrong question.<\/p>\n

The first correct question is, \u201cWhy aren\u2019t there more affordable housing units to meet the demand?\u201d\u00a0The second correct question is, \u201cWhy are we pretending that $1,800 a month rent for a one-bedroom apartment is affordable?\u201d\u00a0As someone on SSDI, my income would be too low to qualify to live there.<\/p>\n

We have thousands of people who are unhoused in San Jose \u2014 41% of whom are employed \u2014 but this city opted to use voter-approved funds intended for affordable housing to build instead glorified Tuff Sheds to shelter unhoused folks temporarily \u2014 at a greater long-term expense.<\/p>\n

So the third correct question is, \u201cWhy did the city choose to do that?\u201d<\/p>\n

Andrew Siegler<\/strong>
\nSan Jos\u00e9<\/em><\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

Save low-income homes for low-income workers<\/h4>\n

Re: \u201cHigh earners, low rents: 1 in 8 pay below market\u201d (Page A1, Sept. 6).<\/p>\n

What is happening?<\/p>\n

How can any entity provide well below rental market value for a property and not hold the tenant to the lease agreement of \u201clow income\u201d? I am dumbfounded that in a state where most public service workers, most food service workers, most college students, most elderly, most disabled \u2026 everyone barely surviving would be the victims, yes victims, of the scam that doesn\u2019t require proof of low income every year.<\/p>\n

To indicate, as in the article, that they \u201dwould hope\u201d that when renters earned more they would relinquish the apartment to provide housing to someone in need is absurd. Who are these people scamming the innocent taxpayer?<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

Sheryl Perez<\/strong>
\nNovato<\/em><\/p>\n

Data centers are green energy\u2019s big chance<\/h4>\n

In reading articles and comments about the opposition to data centers for the AI revolution, I am puzzled.<\/p>\n

Much of the uproar deals with power generation, cooling and noise. I might, as a novice, suggest that all three of these problems could be solved very simply by solar panels and windmills. The sun shines and the wind blows, not just in urban and suburban neighborhoods, but in deserts, woodlands and hilly areas far from housing and city centers. Much of it is cheap, federal land, so cost can be controlled.<\/p>\n

Since we have been told that solar and wind power is so clean and reliable for our businesses and homes, why not apply it to AI data center development? If not, why not?<\/p>\n

Read more Amateur comedian busted after police link San Ramon theft footage to video of his standup routine<\/a><\/p>\n

Jay Morrett<\/strong>
\nSan Jose<\/em><\/p>\n

Teen shooter should be charged as adult<\/h4>\n

Re: \u201cTeen charged in Morgan Hill killing\u201d (Page B1, Sept. 1).<\/p>\n

It is disheartening to see how prevalent gun violence continues to be. Not only that, but the fact that it occurs so close to home is all the more terrifying.<\/p>\n

What started as a group of people seeking to celebrate turned into a chaotic scramble to save their lives. It is harrowing to imagine just how deeply the feeling of fear would run through someone\u2019s body in that situation. There is nobody who should have to experience such a tragedy, especially on a joyous day. The fact that the attacker, who was legally still a minor, had access to weapons of that level of harm is appalling.<\/p>\n

It is appropriate for the DA to charge the 17-year-old as an adult. He should understand the consequences of his actions. If he wants to hurt others like an adult, he should be reprimanded as one as well.<\/p>\n

Caleb Carroll<\/strong>
\nSan Jose<\/em><\/p>\n

Trump\u2019s\u00a0 order on mail-in ballots is plainly illegal<\/h4>\n

Re: \u201cTrump asks court to allow mail voting limits\u201d (Page A4, Sept. 4).<\/p>\n

To assist the six SCOTUS justices apparently suffering from a tragic affliction causing them to have a reading-comprehension disability, here\u2019s a short summary of relevant laws to help them expedite the ruling on Trump\u2019s Executive Order regarding voting-by-mail:<\/p>\n

\u25cf US Constitution, Article 1, Section 4: Each state decides how it holds elections for senators and representatives (the federal Executive Branch has no authority in this process).<\/p>\n

\u25cf Federal law 18 U.S.C. Sections 1701 & 1702: Delaying, blocking, taking, or destroying mail before it reaches the intended person is punishable by up to 5 years in prison \u2014 per count.<\/p>\n

This took me less than a minute to look up, so the court shouldn\u2019t need more than nine minutes to issue a unanimous ruling striking down an obviously illegal Executive Order.<\/p>\n

Read more Stanford seeks permit to move forward with new developments \u2013 including affordable housing for students and staff<\/a><\/p>\n

Dave Whitaker<\/strong>
\nSan Jose<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Also: Low-income homes | Data centers | Charging shooter | Illegal order. Mercury News reader letters to the editor for Sept. 10, 2026.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8812,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8813","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-opinion"],"yoast_head":"\nLetters: The question we should ask is, ‘Why so few affordable homes?’ - Next City Digest<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=8813\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Letters: The question we should ask is, ‘Why so few affordable homes?’ - Next City Digest\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Also: Low-income homes | Data centers | Charging shooter | Illegal order. 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