Rental Update

There is a good article in the Hometown Weekly about the Westwood Station condo/rental issue with some more specifics and rationale behind what is being proposed. Two non-sequiters for me:

• Michael Jaillet, Westwood Town Administrator, says the quality of the units will not change. OK, but let's be honest, even it makes us look like snobs. This issue is not the quality of the housing, it is about the quality of the residents. I am not saying renters are "bad" people, but they have different motivations, different priorities that will change the character of the development regardless of the physical quality of the housing.
• The article talks about this real estate as if each unit will be sold/leased in a unit by unit, optional manner, although the quality of the units will not change. How does that work? I don't believe potential home buyers look at a home, decide they can't afford to buy it, but would like to rent instead. Rent-to-own condos?