Apartments?????

I am reading in the Kokomo Tribune about all the attempts to increase apartment style dwelling units in Kokomo including a rash of low cost – subsidized housing. It is time to stop.

Take a look around Kokomo. There are apartment developments everywhere. It is time to stop all apartment development until a complete accounting to the public can be made. The accounting needs to include the name of all apartment complexes, old and new, and the occupancy rate of each. The accounting should indicate whether the apartments are rented at open market rates or are low-cost subsidized units. It sure appears to me there are plenty vacant units of both types in our town now. Let’s see. Let’s account to the public.

There have been claims the Housing Authority wants to significantly increase the number of subsidized low-cost apartments for no reason except to attract out-of-town people to come to Kokomo to occupy them. Not a good reason.

This community should want a reasonable availability of low-cost subsidized housing for local citizens of such need, but not be a beacon to attract more people from the outside. Our goal should be to create employment for citizens so they can live and pay for market rate dwelling whether it be apartments or a home.

So… to our local government officials: STOP! Do not approve any more apartment developments until the picture is crystal clear as to how many of what type have been approved, the occupancy rate of each, and the accounting to the public has been fully and very openly made. The citizens of Kokomo have the right to know. They have the right to determine the character of our town.