Bedrooms: Attacks on NextDoor app

By Rebecca Morse. Also published as a letter to the editor in the Daily Camera on October 26, 2021.

"When it comes to housing in Boulder, opposition often makes 'great' the enemy of the 'good.' Take the Bedrooms Are For People ballot measure (300) for example. It should surprise no one that a cadre of multimillion dollar homeowners are vocally opposed to sharing their neighborhoods with residents who must pool resources on shared housing in order to live affordably here.

Opposition, usually galvanized on the NextDoor app, has veered into intensely negative, judgmental attacks on the young, low-income families, and seniors who would benefit most from Measure 300. I’ve seen outrageous comments denigrating the intellect of young people and lamenting the 'disintegration' of Boulder, and so on.

And I hear opponents — those who are already comfortably settled in Boulder — voice all-or-nothing demands that include maintaining the status quo for high housing costs, keeping 'neighborhood character' intact, and means-testing every new occupant to ensure that only the most worthy are allowed to live among us.

The one thing I never hear from opponents? Solutions. Instead of 'no, I don’t think that’s a good idea, but what about this?' it’s just 'no.' And that, to me, is a red flag.

If we want to make actual progress on major issues we face: climate change and affordability, we must work on meaningful solutions to reduce mounting ozone levels caused by excessive driving and in-commuting. We’d invest in nondiscriminatory, affordable housing options that allow people to live where they work, and with whom they choose, because those options support our young neighbors, our senior neighbors, and our low-income neighbors.

That’s part of living up to the values we say we embrace, Boulder. Measure 300 is one move in that direction, because we need to be acting on solutions, not simply accepting 'no' for every forward step. I’m voting yes on 300."