See you are making assumptions. Nobody bought a house. At one point the people in this town had the insight to realize that they need a service class to pour their coffee, change their oil and take care of their elderly, etc... As a result they subsidized a bunch of low income apartment complexes. This housing boom is pushing out the service class and professionals are moving into low budget apartments thus raising the rent for the people they were created for. So you think Bellingham should be a place where only people that can afford exuberant rents for crummy apartments should be able to live? With that plan the service class is going to end up in one of two places. Out of town or the shelter.