To The Swarthmorean,

In 2007, I was able to find an apartment in Swarthmore that I could afford on one salary. With my daughters, then 6 and 7, I moved here for personal reasons from the Garden City section of Wallingford. We enjoyed all that Swarthmore had to offer: wading in Crum Creek, walking to town, visits from Santa, and making forever friends. Moving here changed our lives. Today, both my daughters are in college and I own a small home just down the street from the apartment we rented.

A few years ago, a friend of mine was looking for a safe place to land, which is not easy for an African-American man. He was able to find a place he could afford and now feels that he is a part of an accepting, diverse place where friendly faces smile and say good morning.

I’m learning the difference between affordable housing, and houses that average people can afford. But I have always been aware of what it means to live in an accepting community. I don’t have a fancy degree or a Lexus. I have plenty of family that live on the Main Line, and they have both—several Lexuses to be exact. I could have moved there in 2007, but I wanted what Swarthmore had to offer.

I strongly urge Swarthmore Borough Council to keep the values and physical beauty that makes Swarthmore what it is. My girls come home to a town that does not scream greed, injustice or displacement. These are things they are learning about in college. Things we want to avoid.

There has to be a balance between the goals of future—thinking builders and the values of the places they are building upon. Starting a task-force to debate this is an excellent start. I look forward to a fair, and positive decision—without Swarthmore becoming the Main Line of Delco. And I believe this is possible.

Maria Elia
Swarthmore