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People should be able to live where they make a living. But California’s workforce of regular people—young teachers, secretaries, travel agents, bus drivers—are having an increasingly difficult time these days finding affordable housing in the communities where they are employed. A recent report of the state’s Little Hoover Commission reveals that the problem has reached epidemic proportions—especially in the Bay Area, Los Angeles, San Diego and some areas of Sacramento County.

What’s happening right now in the bucolic community of Folsom is a microcosm of how the affordable housing crisis has hit the rest of the state. Basically, the city became the target of a protracted lawsuit by Legal Services of Northern California for its lack of affordable housing. When a judge ruled that Folsom was indeed required to provide affordable options for its residents, city officials did a gutsy thing. Instead of having terms dictated to them by the court, they decided to tackle the problem themselves, to settle the lawsuit by agreeing to rezone 128 acres in Folsom for affordable housing (about 2,000 units) by year’s end. It seemed clear—given the attractiveness of the Folsom community—that plenty of developers would be eager to build such housing there.

But then things got complicated.

Last month, residents packed an emotional meeting of the Folsom City Council, some calling for a “total recall” of the electeds. Others decried the city’s decision to move forward with affordable housing by predicting it would bring crime into their neighborhoods as well as lower property values. Multiple public and privately funded studies have indicated that affordable housing does not lower property values, that such values are determined by the condition of the particular property for sale and overall area development and community amenities. But those studies weren’t exactly cited at the meeting.

Soon another lawsuit was launched, this one filed against the city by “North Folsom” residents who question the city’s decision-making process on the settlement and, basically, hope to stall the city’s process of moving forward on affordable housing. Too bad. Because it’s not like anybody’s talking about building a crime-magnet ghetto in Folsom! They’re just talking about building reasonable, affordable housing for regular people. Shouldn’t the young guy who teaches at the local school be able to buy a home for his family in the community where he teaches? Shouldn’t the woman who cuts hair at the downtown salon get a chance to live in the city where she works?

The outcome of the Folsom housing conflict remains uncertain. But what is certain is that we Californians should get ready for more of the same.