Thank you, Allan Herschlag, for a thoughtful article (Monitor Opinion, Sept. 28) on the housing situation in Concord and across the state.
Rental rates in Concord are totally off the wall, and it’s rare to find an apartment that goes for less than $1,400 that you would want to live in. Rental rates are driven by the market. This is not just a problem for young people but also older citizens who are on fixed incomes, dealing with health issues and unless very rich, finding themselves in a scary situation, especially if they have no family to help.
There is affordable housing, but a five-year waiting list for most of them. This is not just a New Hampshire problem but a national one. It is the reason why so many folks in Los Angeles, San Franciso, etc., are homeless and living on the sidewalks.
I have friends in Montana who are dealing with the same issues. California folks are moving in and increasing the standard of living, and the rental and housing rates. So, the answer to all this is beyond me, and I don’t see it improving much. I appreciate that people are addressing this, and Councilor Herschlag’s idea of villages is worth looking at.
SANDRA L. MORRISON
Concord