Lower developer fees bad news for all

The recent news that the City of St. Charles would drastically reduce their developer fees for affordable housing is bad news for everyone in the Fox River Valley.

At a time when wages are being suppressed and housing costs are going up, why would our elected officials want to cut off a great supply of funds to build more affordable housing for working class people. This is a real shame, and puzzling too, because it seems to have been done in a way that bypassed the St. Charles Housing Committee and avoided public comment or debate.

Long-term thinking is needed. Seniors, middle-class workers and those with disabilities are finding it increasingly difficult to afford housing in the Fox River Valley. We need more housing for those in the middle income group, not less. Yet this move by the City of St. Charles seems to ignore that fact by using tax payer resources to benefit developers rather than citizens.

St. Charles, Geneva and Batavia all used be places with room for everyone. This made for a vibrant community that was attractive to families and industry. But more and more it seems that only the wealthy can afford housing in our communities. For several years now people in the Fox River Valley Initiative and DuPage United have worked to find ways of bringing more affordable housing to the Fox River Valley area.

There are other great organizations working on this issue too, but more efforts are needed to raise awareness and spur action. Land that can be developed for housing is a resource that is finite and must be managed and stewarded properly so that the benefit goes to the citizens.

Jeffrey R. Jenkins

Wayne