Sometimes Common Sense Just Loses Out …

The article in last week’s Revere Journal about CAPIC losing the state funding for running its homeless program seems just counterproductive.

Robert Repucci, CAPIC Director, said that he was forced to stop the program to help stave off local homelessness that has been successful and in place for more than 48 years because of the way that former Governor Deval Patrick changed funding for the program.

Repucci points out that under the current program, the cost of the program that was $10 million before Partick’s changes will now almost triple since people are forced to live in hotels.

In this week’s Journal, one can see how some landlords are making illegal apartments that are being put in everywhere and anywhere.  Revere city councillors have adopted a new ordinance to streamline city government to check on illegal apartments and make sure that these type of apartments become a distant memory. Revere councillors have used common sense to address one aspect of our housing issues.

On the other side Bob Repucci used common sense to make sure that homeless people were not taken advantage and economically finding decent and legal housing.

The reality is that housing costs in the Boston market have seen a steady increase as apartments are now renting for more than $2,000 a month. That is why common sense and watching tax dollars is so important.

But state government seems not to care what it spends to do things wrong.

We look forward to Governor Charlie Baker looking over the budget and fixing blatant problems like the state’s allocation of funding for the homeless program.

No one should object to paying taxes to help our fellow Americans find legal and decent housing.  But when one sees and hears that a program is costing three times as much with lesser returns, then Baker might be on the right track when asked about raising taxes, he says that “the state does not have a revenue problem but a spending problem.”

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