Affordable Housing Finance is conducting research to identify community relations success stories in the affordable housing development business. We cannot do this without your help.

We are beginning an investigation of the NIMBY (not in my backyard) syndrome and how best to fight it. Our first research project in that area is to gather information on cases in which proposed affordable housing developments were met with opposition, overcame that opposition and went on to win the support of those who originally opposed them.

So tell us your success stories. We have heard that, in many cases, opponents eventually become just as strong in their support for developments as they once were in opposition. In some cases, these opponents or their children later became satisfied residents in the new building.

If you know of such a case, let us know. In particular, we need you to identify these “converts” from opponents of affordable housing to supporters of affordable housing and ask them to agree to let us tell their story publicly.

Together we’ll publicize ways to confront and defeat NIMBYism and make it easier to provide affordable housing and to revitalize troubled neighborhoods.

For more updates on this project and for information on future efforts

Andre Shashaty

(415) 315-1241, ext. 301

Letter to the editor

Dear Editor:

I just read your column, “Poor Alphonso Jackson,” in the April issue. Unfortunately, I have to agree with all that you wrote. It reminds me of a thought that I had with all the Bush cabinet hubbub after his second election. I had observed the good news/bad news in it for our industry. The good news was that nobody was talking about scandal, graft or inefficiency at HUD. The bad news was that nobody was talking about HUD.

Indeed, what IS the future of HUD?

– Bill Jacobs, Housing Authority of McDonough Co., Ill.

Affordable Housing Finance welcomes letters to the editor. Letters should be 250 words or less and may be edited for length. Send them to [email protected], fax them to (415) 315-1248, or mail them to Affordable Housing Finance, Letters to the Editor, 111 Sutter St., Suite 975, San Francisco, CA 94104.

Correction

The photograph on page S-2 of the Green Building supplement in the March 2006 issue of Affordable Housing Finance was incorrectly identified. The project in the photo is High Point, a sustainably developed project in Seattle. Affordable Housing Finance regrets the error.