Kathleen Matejko’s roots in Bloomfield go back generations. She currently lives in what was her grandparents’ house. She worries that new development could drive the middle class out of Bloomfield. (Photo by Maranie Rae Staab/PublicSource)
That dollar figure concerns some longtime residents who worry they’ll eventually be priced out of their neighborhood instead of being included in its development boom.
“Every house I’ve ever lived in around Bloomfield, Lawrenceville, Garfield, was torn down. They are all new townhouses now,” said Edward Conoran, who, at two years from retirement, pays a rent that he considers affordable on his maintenance worker salary.
His landlord, however, has listed his Penn Avenue apartment building for sale. Once it sells, Conoran thinks his chances of affording a new place in Bloomfield are low. Leaving the neighborhood would be a big, inconvenient change; he said he’s lived in his apartment for 37 years and walks to work.
READ ENTIRE ARTICLE AT:
https://www.publicsource.org/as-bloomfield-weighs-new-development-residents-seek-to-prioritize-affordable-housing/