Editor, Manteca Bulletin,
This is in response to suggestions that we need small housing in Manteca. I use to think so too, but I also think that the council is under no obligation to cater to every demand by the public.
Small housing creates another problem — labor and material and land prices are at a premium price and developers can’t make a profit by building small homes.
This city has another problem. The assessments on homes that this city collects would drastically be reduced and perhaps it wouldn’t even be offered by developers of small low profit homes. As a city that depends on this extra income, we can ill afford to accommodate low income residents in development of low income housing. My wife and I skimped and saved  for our first little three bedrooms, one bath home and rented for a number of years before we could buy a home. I worked two jobs to help buy this home. Now people want us to build homes tailored to their incomes. People now expect our representatives to bypass the effort to save for a home by developing low income housing.
First and foremost, our representatives have to consider the income of this city that pays the bills. Small housing wouldn’t contribute much of anything to our General Fund. This city uses speculated income in spending and when the income is lower than they speculated, a deficit is created. Low income housing is not in the best interest of this city. Increased costs of running city government on speculation, creates mass  continuous development  to cover any shortfall in city funding. This shortfall can’t be bridged by developing low income housing.

Fleener Richards
Manteca