An Appeal to My Neighbors
By Katie Styles
I don’t mean the neighbors
who share my rental apartment wall
The ones who also wonder,
“Can I buy anything at all?”
I mean YOU
The neighbors
The homeowners
And property-tax payers
You’d like to “sell to someone local”
A family like your own
Have them celebrate holidays
And watch their children grow
You want to see less development
“We have enough already!”
Hold on hoss, I hear you,
but here’s where it gets messy
I see your golden handcuffs
How you’ll someday want to cash out
How your home may accidentally
become short-term rented out.
I understand you need to sell
We all do, you see.
Some may sell out to the man,
Others to property management companies.
Maybe you don’t want to sell,
Maybe you don’t like excavators.
Maybe you like the idyllic green space,
and living further from your neighbors.
I respect that too
I do indeed
But what should happen
when housing is scarce,
and people are in need?
The solution isn’t as simple,
as having locals buy your house
Or allowing pricey developments
The kind unattainable in a financial drought
If the only people shouting
are those that work three jobs
Then oftentimes those people
don’t have much time at all
We can’t make council meetings,
forums, or commissions
And now you say, “What should I do?”
Well here’s an answer for your question
Stand up for affordable housing
For attainable, purchasable units
Because, in twenty years when the developments
DID happen you’ll say, “Oh man, we blew it”
This is your chance
to help working locals buy here
Instead of second homeowners
who visit three times a year
Talk to your councilors
Your representatives, developers
This is the way to ensure living spaces
for in-town, non-commuting workers
The workers
Our hearts are heavy.
The young with futures bright,
and pockets empty
The old with visions
of retiring locally
You see we have our own loves to protect
Our own hopes and dreams
But, we need support from our neighbors
to bring about true affordable housing