Interesting story, but what does subsidized public housing have to do with window AC units in 'upscale' communities?
Everything.
Don't you find it ironic that the people who pay for those subsidized A/C window units are prohibited from installing the exact same thing for themselves?
What makes more sense? Cooling a single room or an entire large house/apartment?
Whether the prohibition is by homeowners association, local, County, State or Federal law, it is a distinction without a difference.