<div>In this election season, the lively public discussion about the state affordable housing bill, SB 23, includes some laughable claims that everything bad is the Democrats' fault, and voting Republican is the answer. Let's expose that political opportunism with some facts:There's no affordable housing in Sussex County because developers have been building for the highest-paying buyers. How about $700,000 luxury row houses for affluent retirees? No problem! Housing affordable to the Sussex workforce? Not in our upscale back yard! Behind the developers are their investors, who've been shoving their cash into real estate since they crashed the financial markets in 2008 by gambling on bad mortgage debt. All they care about is investment returns. Together they've taken the easy path to big money.Who let this happen? In the decade 2015-24 there were only Republicans on Sussex County Council. The last council Democratic majority ended in 2009. Before the 2024 elections, controls placed on development were few and far between – no assessment to support school expansion, no subordinating growth to limits on capacity, all covered with fig leaves about "property rights," "limited government" and fear of being sued if developments were impeded.As a result, in 2024, three council incumbents were replaced by new members who ran on sustainable development, and the new council's land use reform working group spent 2025 turning the issues into 20 proposals. Several of those are now stalled in council based on property owners' and developers' demands. I don't question the good faith of any of our hardworking government officials, but results speak for themselves, and things need to change to make growth sustainable and housing affordable.SB 23 is state Democrats' response to our affordable housing crisis. It defines affordable housing and holds local governments accountable for promoting its creation by appropriately regulating development. The bill accommodates developers' demands to eliminate public hearings for by-right developments, and to increase the pricing limits for affordable housing. The public will be able to comment on proposals, in some cases in writing only.Failure of the local housing market to serve the local public interest created this situation, and Republican Party members were the local decisionmakers as it developed. They let it happen. Partisan claims that they'll be the solution are hilarious.Johannes SayreLewes</div>

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In this election season, the lively public discussion about the state affordable housing bill, SB 23, includes some laughable claims that everything bad is the Democrats' fault, and voting Republican is the answer. Let's expose that political opportunism with some facts:. There's no affordable housing in Sussex County because developers...

SB 23 finger-pointing is comical

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In this election season, the lively public discussion about the state affordable housing bill, SB 23, includes some laughable claims that everything bad is

SB 23 finger-pointing is comical

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