Town has 'gated community' approach to COAH The facts that Middletown Mayor Gerard Scharfenberger and Steven Lonegan of Americans for Prosperity N.J. are leaving out of their misleading rhetoric is that Middletown has around 260 units of affordable housing that it has not built from round one and two of its COAH obligation. Middletown has only completed 88 units of new housing, 122 rehabs of existing housing and has signedRCAs for 649 units of housing at $12.1 million going to other municipalities. This leaves a sizeable surplus frompoor performance for the last 20 years. At the rate that Middletown is going it will not meet its constitutional obligation by 2018. This is the real reason that Mayor Scharfenberger and hismajority areworried about the "third round" obligation in my opinion. Middletown's "gated community" approach to its affordable housing obligation has failed the town and its residents as well, due to the fact that if we do notmeet our obligation we lose our protection under the FHA of 1985. This will mean that anyone wishing to develop or in need of housing will be able to sue Middletown, which will mean rapidly rising legal fees and rising property taxes for the residents ofMiddletown. As for thesemandates being unfunded, it is not true in my opinion. The federal and state governments have funds set up to relievemunicipalities that build the housing in their communities. On the other hand, the municipalities who sign RCAs to get rid of their portion of affordable housing do not get to benefit from these funds, which in turn puts a heavy burden on taxpayers. There is also a burden placed on residents by not having the housing inMiddletown for our young adults starting out in life and our seniors who are facing rising costs on a fixed income. In conclusion, isMiddletown's gated community approach to COAH in the best interest of Middletown's residents or in the best interest of themajority of the governing body? Matthew Morehead Chairman Monmouth County Bayshore Young Democrats Red Bank