Carolyn Sundquist: Craig fights for affordable housing, Ayotte part of problem

To The Daily Sun,

While the mayor of Manchester, gubernatorial candidate Joyce Craig worked tirelessly to find solutions to the affordable housing crisis that affects every community, large or small, in New Hampshire.

Her opponent, Kelly Ayotte, since 2019 has been receiving $150,000 a year as a board member for Blackstone, a private equity firm, that, according to the Union Leader, critics claim “has a history of buying distressed properties, raising rents, evicting tenants and managing some apartment complexes with deplorable conditions.”

When the Union Leader article was published, Ayotte owned more than 16,500 shares of stock valued at $2.2 million.

The company’s worldwide holdings include housing complexes in Nashua, Durham and Lebanon.

CNBC reports institutional investors including Blackstone “may control 40% of U.S. single-family rental homes by 2030, according to MetLife Investment Management.”

Potential homeowners can’t compete with the prices the equity companies are willing to pay, forcing more people into the rental market, which allows equity companies to increase the rent. It is a double whammy for everyone except the equity companies and their highly paid board members like Ayotte.

It is very clear, from how Ayotte defended Blackstone in the Union Leader article, that private equity companies and the money they pay her come first.

If voters care about affordable housing, Ayotte will be their enemy, Craig their friend.

Vote for Joyce Craig for governor in November if voters think affordable housing is an important issue.

Carolyn Sundquist

Melvin Village