Affordable Housing Law vs. Apartment Builder

Developer Geoff Palmer says that if city law forces him to include affordable rental units in his proposed downtown Los Angeles luxury apartment complex, the Visconti, he will not build at all [“Apartments Have Some Up in Arms,” June 12].

What greedy petulance! I’ve seen Palmer’s recent project, the Medici apartments, and now I understand why he built it as a near-impregnable fortress: Because he has no interest in helping working-class people find decent, affordable housing, he anticipates the housing crisis in L.A. will worsen and many “less fortunates” will have to be kept segregated from the people Palmer will build for, his privileged tenants.

Mr. Palmer, how about trading some profit for a little compassion? Thank you for building housing in Los Angeles, but can’t you make just 15% of it accessible to lower- and middle-income Angelenos?

Jordan E. Moore

Los Angeles