Wealthy community fights low-income housing plans

[CHAPPAQUA, New York] Few places on the planet are as enviable as this Westchester County hamlet. Stately houses are set on spacious, hilly lots shaded by old trees; its village centre has gourmet restaurants and bakeries; its schools are top notch, and its 9,400 residents have a median household income of US$163,201, ranking the area roughly 40th among America's wealthiest communities.

But the hamlet has been churned up by plans to build new housing for people of much lower incomes, including black and Hispanic newcomers.

A developer is offering to build 28 units of affordable rental housing with caps on family earnings, although with no income floor; families of four earning no more than roughly US$64,000 would qualify, as would poorer families, including those who receive federal vouchers.