So, I’m guessing the “controversy” revolves around the number of “affordable housing” units involved, because — if you’ve been there, you know — when the question is, “Who’s up for 42 ‘affordably housed’ neighbors?” the answer is “Nobody.”
“Affordable housing” inevitably gets hit with the “grandma syndrome”.
The way that works is that the initial tenant screening of the new development is very sound.
The “affordable” units go to folks like that nice black grandma who would never hurt a soul.
Everyone in the building likes her.
It takes a year or two—and then grandma’s daughter (a single mom) gets arrested (usually for drug addiction) and grandma agrees to take in the teenage kids.
One of the kids is a street thug.
He terrorizes grandma, quickly takes over grandma’s apartment.
Then he invites a few of his thug friends to join him as they turn the apartment into a drug and gun heaven.
At that point the thugs start terrorizing the residents of the apartment building—burglaries, muggings, car break ins etc etc etc.
Apartment building residents start fleeing the building and moving elsewhere.
The owner starts lowering rental standards just to fill up units.
In a couple more years the building has become a slum.