Lieutenant Governor continues to hide from failed record

Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey has pulled out of a housing forum scheduled for Thursday, once again refusing to defend the Romney/Healey administration’s failed record on housing and rebuffing an offer to share her positions with the voters of Massachusetts.

“What does Kerry Healey fear? Could it be the fact that under her leadership, more residents are finding it impossible to live here? Affordable housing is the number one issue Massachusetts residents are grappling with,” Massachusetts Democratic Party Chairman Phil. Johnston said. “Kerry Healey is helping squeeze the middle class out of this state.”

Kerry Healey committed to the Faneuil Hall forum, but backed out this week. The three Democratic gubernatorial candidates will appear and will share their ideas for making housing more affordable.

Since taking office in 2003, Mitt Romney and Kerry Healey have failed to fulfill their campaign pledge to double housing starts. Meanwhile, residents are beleaguered by soaring property taxes.

The results of the Romney/Healey administration’s failed housing policies are clear:

• Massachusetts is the only state to lose population two years in a row;

• Massachusetts has the 3rd highest housing costs in the country;

• Massachusetts is struggling to attract businesses and workers;

• The number of homeless individuals has risen by 31 percent since 1999;

• There are 10,000 families with children who will be homeless at some point this year—there is room for just 40 of them in state shelters

(Statistics from the Citizens’ Housing and Planning Association)