In case you were wondering...
No, I did not fall off the face of the earth. It's now been over two weeks since I last posted; a much longer break than I would have ever anticipated. I've been laid up with something that can only be described as the "cold from hell". It wasn't quite the flu, but it knocked me down hard for about two weeks and alot of my normal activities--including blogging--fell by the wayside.
But I'm back!
Last night, at a joint meeting between the Board of County Commissioners and the Hillsborough Town Board, we learned that the tenants of an RV site in Hillsborough are going to be evicted as of May 1st. This is troubling because these folks are, essentially, homeless and have been living at this site because they have no where else to go. The Town of Hillsborough, led by Mayor Tom Stevens, has been exemplary in working to find a solution for these residents as well as the residents of an adjacent mobile home park who will also soon be dislocated.
This situation illustrates a serious need we have in Orange County for housing for our residents of modest means. When these families leave the RV facility, there is no where like it for them to move. We live in one of the most affluent counties in the state, a county with a low unemployment rating, a reasonably high level of public services, and a progressive value system. Yet, there are still far too many families--the chronic poor, the chronically unemployeed or underemployed--who simply have few affordable housing options.
As a community, we need to roll up our sleeves and do everything we can to increase the amount of affordable housing in our community.
But I'm back!
Last night, at a joint meeting between the Board of County Commissioners and the Hillsborough Town Board, we learned that the tenants of an RV site in Hillsborough are going to be evicted as of May 1st. This is troubling because these folks are, essentially, homeless and have been living at this site because they have no where else to go. The Town of Hillsborough, led by Mayor Tom Stevens, has been exemplary in working to find a solution for these residents as well as the residents of an adjacent mobile home park who will also soon be dislocated.
This situation illustrates a serious need we have in Orange County for housing for our residents of modest means. When these families leave the RV facility, there is no where like it for them to move. We live in one of the most affluent counties in the state, a county with a low unemployment rating, a reasonably high level of public services, and a progressive value system. Yet, there are still far too many families--the chronic poor, the chronically unemployeed or underemployed--who simply have few affordable housing options.
As a community, we need to roll up our sleeves and do everything we can to increase the amount of affordable housing in our community.
posted by Mike Nelson at
2:59 PM
