Opinion articles provide independent perspectives on key community issues, separate from our newsroom reporting.

Letters to the Editor

For affordable housing, San Luis Obispo must give up quality of life

Natalie Marinelli is a Cal Poly grad and former Apple employee in the Bay Area who moved back to SLO County with her husband for the quality of life, but the lack of affordable housing has been an issue for them. Here she stands in the kitchen in the apartment she and her husband rent.
Natalie Marinelli is a Cal Poly grad and former Apple employee in the Bay Area who moved back to SLO County with her husband for the quality of life, but the lack of affordable housing has been an issue for them. Here she stands in the kitchen in the apartment she and her husband rent. Joe Johnston jjohnston@thetribunenews.com

Regarding Oct. 23’s “Priced out of the American dream” article:

The young couple returned to San Luis Obispo for its quality of life but can’t afford to buy a home here. The often suggested solution was once again offered: Build more houses and the law of supply and demand would make houses more affordable. In my opinion, this community is so desirable that building more houses will not result in making houses affordable until we are so overcrowded that our quality of life has deteriorated to the level where people will not want to return, as did the young couple in the article. Quality of life is more important than affordable housing and we must choose either one or the other. We can’t have both!

Dick Pottratz, San Luis Obispo

This story was originally published November 7, 2016 at 8:48 PM with the headline "For affordable housing, San Luis Obispo must give up quality of life."

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