While it is certainly welcome news that there will be additional housing units through Brick Hill development, nothing is being done in the city of South Portland to squarely address the urgent and pressing need for affordable housing for average, everyday residents.

I was born and raised in South Portland, and have spent the majority of my life here. My parents were average, ordinary people who worked hard to pay the bills and to raise my sister and me. There is no way that my parents would have been able to afford to raise us here under the type of housing conditions that exist in South Portland now.

Average everyday people can no longer afford to live here. So many people are being excluded, shut out, and being forced to move. Forcing the average Joe and Jane to live elsewhere is devastating to our collective South Portland community and sense of purpose. It is past time that something is done in this great city now to help out average people to live here and make our community something special.

Rick Foss-Lacey
South Portland