Growth Requires Workers’ Housing

James L. Doti and Robert A. Elliott tell an inspiring story of Orange County’s growth as a center for medical instrument and supply manufacture (“Cultivating a Breeding Ground for Entrepreneurs in Orange County,” Oct. 4).

They further provide a “comprehensive” laundry list of all they consider essential for continuing to foster the entrepreneurial spirit of Orange County: proper zoning, low taxes, communication, transportation, education and even the arts.

So what’s missing?

Nowhere do our “best and brightest” acknowledge that to continue to thrive, our economy needs to provide housing for all these entrepreneurs--and their employees.

Their vision of Orange County’s future would banish all lower-income workers to older central cities, where housing is cheaper, but overcrowded and deteriorating, or to the Inland Empire, to then flood the freeways morning and night.

Yes, we need to cultivate this breeding ground. But to do so we must ensure the availability of decent, safe, affordable housing for everyone who would work for and with these entrepreneurs, and near the site of employment. The authors, and our cities, are missing a beat if they think that the status quo in housing will provide the environment needed for economic growth.

LEE PODOLAK

Orange