Anger solves nothing, and deepens divisions

Columnist Cal Thomas writes about the rise of nastiness in U.S. politics and American society in general.

Dear Editor:

I’m a school outreach Coordinator for Ulster Immigrant Defense Network and member of the Ulster County Coalition for Housing Justice. We believe everyone has a right to a decent place to live at an affordable cost.

Our local “hot housing market” is forcing out low-income Black, brown and undocumented friends and neighbors — many of our local essential workers. This is a systemic problem, worsened by COVID-19.

We recently were asked to help a single working mother with two very young children. She is being harassed to move in 30 days by an LLC landlord who prays on the most vulnerable. She does essential work and is up to date on rent. Sadly, there are many such stories. There are two solutions:

1. The city of Kingston and Ulster County can provide land and social services for 100 individuals without homes before Nov. 15 by building 50 non-congregate, two-person units, built by supervisors and volunteers from YouthBuild, the Bruderhof and others.

2. Local land banks and land trusts can move faster to renovate hundreds of vacant houses, making them permanently affordable (25% of a low-income person’s paycheck). Private philanthropies and second-home and short-term rental taxes and local banks can fund this.

It’s getting colder. Our elected officials are smart and well-intentioned; citizens and government can lead the way with these solutions. Let’s challenge greed.

Marjorie Leopold

Saugerties