What role do rent subsidies play in area's growth?

Another column from Sandpoint Mayor Shelby Rognstad (Daily Bee, Dec. 15) about the lack of affordable housing and rapid population growth followed by the hand-wringing of local “social engineers” and their paid consultants. The "elites" push high-density affordable housing projects while ignoring that this seems to invite transplants with rent subsidies to relocate here.

Sandpoint’s population explosion (last 10 years) coincides with the surge in new housing “projects,” (behind Super 1 Foods, etc.), which promptly began accepting out-of-state “Section 8 HUD” and other rent subsidy recipients.

Openings for new “rent subsidized housing projects” are advertised to Section 8 HUD and other rent subsidy recipients across all 50 states. Low-income people can relocate their rent subsidies to any state/city they choose.

Would Shelby Rognstad, please answer some direct questions:

What percentage of people living in our current “projects” came from out of state, having relocated here with their rent subsidies?

What percentage of the residents in our “affordable housing projects” resided in Bonner County before their initial residency? (I say initial, some may have “upgraded” from another project)

What percentage of people living in these current workforce housing projects are employed?

How much does the city spend on “affordable housing” consultants?

We would like to know what portion of the so-called “high density, affordable housing” is occupied by true "locals," versus out-of-area people relocating here with rent subsidies.

DAVID HAUSSLER

Sandpoint