I  am a Camden resident for the last 42 years, and I read your article about affordable housing with interest. I notice that you mentioned the rising cost of homes due to COVID and the economic impact of that on the housing market. I believe statistics can confirm that conclusion.

I’m wondering however, why you did not mention the recent tax appraisal commissioned by this town to take advantage of these inflated real estate prices to institute a new tax grab.

The town has been given money, tax money, by the federal government (our tax dollars) to help compensate for the damaging economic impact to towns. Yet this town has now paid more money, (our tax dollars) to yet again, have a new appraisal done to raise our property taxes based, on the inflated prices.  

What can that be called other than profiteering. While this may be legal, it does not seem in any way, to be in the best interest of the property owners in Camden, Maine, or our entire community. 

My 1,400-square-foot, 10-year-old mobile home, located in a mobile home park here in Camden, has gone up 78%.

I’m sure I’m not alone; every home owner in this town is facing being taxed out of their homes.

If we don’t want to become a town that only millionaires can afford to live in, this property tax grab needs to be resented. How does this apply to affordable housing? Affordable housing needs to start by keeping our present homes affordable, not by jacking up the values and taxes to prices only the out of state or wealthy can afford. 

There are many of our local older citizens on fixed income, like myself, or young people who are working hard to be self supporting…not taking or asking for any kind of financial support…just those of us who used to be considered the working middle class.

We are proud to be self supporting, we don’t want a handout but we don’t expect to be taxed out of our homes. This new evaluation is unconscionable. It needs to be brought out into the open and aired…like dirty linen.

Sue Morrison lives in Camden