Growth is driving housing prices up and pushing locals out Re: “Housing crisis: Build our way out?” March 24 commentary Steve Pomerance’s excellent coverage of Colorado’s shortage of affordable housing and its related problems is clearly on target regarding population growth and affordable housing. Due to population growth, I don’t believe that using taxpayer money to build affordable housing is a sustainable solution to what has become a long-standing problem. On the contrary, Colorado’s shortage of affordable housing is symptomatic of the far more pressing problem of the vast income inequalities created by relatively affluent newcomers moving into economically poor rural areas. This influx of affluent people has the unintended effect of economically displacing long-time residents whose family incomes and retirements pale in comparison. Case in point: I recently helped a disabled neighbor who was months away from losing his home due to a projected 100% increase in his home property taxes and insurance payments.