I am appalled by Michael Ciciarelli's letter, ‘Aurora Place development not wanted in Akinsdale,’ Feb. 19 Gazette:
I, too, live close by in Akinsdale and I take offense in his stating (if I understand his letter correctly) that the Habitat for Humanity recipients are looking for a handout and free ride. How dare you! Do you have any idea what you are writing about? My friend's daughter is a single parent who moved into her Habitat home more than one year ago and says it’s the best thing that happened to her and her son. She had to go through an extremely thorough and lengthy process to even be considered for an interview to become a possible homeowner.
She is a hard working and honest young woman who just after being in her new home for 10 months had her monthly payments increased by more than 20 per cent due to an increase in property taxes! Of her monthly mortgage payments only about 13 per cent actually goes towards the mortgage itself and the rest goes to property taxes and insurance. At this rate it will take her forever and a day to pay off the mortgage. She and her young son certainly do not get a leg up or any special treatment.
She has worked very hard for this and will continue to do so. She is just happy to have her own place to call home and to raise her son in a good environment. The people who live in these Habitat homes do not create the so-called drug-dealing areas in this city, for that you should maybe look towards the more ritzy areas in this city where the parents just give their kids a car, endless money and have no idea what their children are up to.
Brigitte Koelbl, St. Albert
