To the editor:

After reading the article on affordable housing...here are my thoughts: I would have to say I like the idea that Mr. Heffner presented with using tax credits to encourage the construction of smaller homes. 

I might go so far as to say that it would be nice if there was a gated community for seniors with their needs in mind. There should be a community house and golf carts for seniors to get around in the community and gated for the protection with a security mechanism that allows the seniors to control who can come in and who can’t. There are loads of them in Florida. Why can’t we do it here? I thought the monastery property would have been a great place for that. It would be built to fit the landscape of the neighborhood.

I can also agree with Janine Wolfe that income is not keeping up with the cost of living. However, many of these people who would need these homes may be already retired or may not be able to work anymore due to health reasons. I do believe we already have some affordable housing just at the entrance to the town. I have been in the neighborhood and these are nice modest homes. Quite possibly, we need more little cul-de-sacs with housing such as this that would be offered to people considering their income. It does not seem like much of a stretch to make this happen. We have already been doing this with many homes in Barrington. We just need more of them.

I would like to add one more idea…which is to halt increases of real estate taxes, as well as offer these seniors a much better reduction in their real estate tax bill. 

I’ve got to be honest …$500 discount on real estate taxes is not enough help for a senior who probably has medical bills far greater. We need to do better in that department. I believe that the town needs to show the seniors of this town who have lived in this town their whole lives a huge thank you for all the money they have given to the town through their tax payment. They should not have to show their financials to get that. It should be given in appreciation of paying that tax bill year after year that supported this town. 

Joann Weiner

Barrington