Letter: Affordable housing would bring crime

Kudos to Marjorie Cates and 50 odd residents who have the courage to stand up and discourage affordable housing in La Cañada - Flintridge.

City Council says developers will probably not build in La Cañada but want to pass rezoning laws anyway.

Having grown up in La Cañada and now residing in NYC — home for holidays at my parents home — I feel unique in position to judge such a proposal. Three blocks down from my Lincoln Center Condominium in NYC is an affordable housing project. The crime and overall harassment of many hard-working people in the neighborhood by residents of this project is undeniable. The main result of this and many other affordable housing projects randomly placed throughout Manhattan is that people who care can afford to send their children to private schools to escape these elements. La Cañada is among a handful of communities that can brag of a Blue -Ribbon school district where a child can receive a first-class education. History has shown that bringing in elements such as affordable housing is a direct threat to such an institution as fine schools , not to mention crime and negative housing value to areas affected.

Hats off to those who recognize the potential negatives of this serious and potentially dangerous legislation. I sincerely hope that many more community members get on board and join the fight before it is too late.

William DeRosa
La Cañada