The town of Yellow Springs, Ohio, will not move forward with an affordable housing development after Chappelle, 48, and other locals spoke against the building plan during a meeting on Monday. The proposition would have seen Oberer Homes add low-income homes to their upcoming development instead of just single-family homes that start above $300,000, according to Dayton Daily News.
Chappelle’s interest appears to stem from his Yellow Springs-based businesses, from his company Iron Table Holdings LLC to a restaurant and a comedy club he’s planning to open. When Chappelle got to the mic during Monday’s meeting, he threatened to take his business interests outside of Yellow Springs should the affordable housing development break ground.
“I don’t know why the village council would be afraid of litigation from a $24 million-a-year company while it kicks out a $65 million-a-year company,” he said. “I cannot believe you would make me audition for you.”
The comedian’s statement also targeted the village council directly. “You look like clowns. I am not bluffing. I will take it all off the table,” he said.
While Chappelle’s statement was short, he received applause from most of the village hall audience, as seen on a video posted by Yellow Springs on YouTube.
The Yellow Springs village council voted 2-2, with one abstaining — a vote that officially rejected Oberer Home’s affordable housing component. The development will move forward with 143 single-family homes that start above a low-income price point.
Chappelle has not yet commented on the town hall meeting on social media. His rep told TMZ, “Dave Chappelle didn’t kill affordable housing. Concerned residents and a responding Village Council ‘killed’ a half-baked plan which never actually offered affordable housing.”
The star previously attended a council meeting about the building plan in December. “I’m adamantly opposed to it. Obviously, I live behind the development or the proposed development,” he said, according to a local news outlet. “I do have many business interests in town. I’ve invested millions of dollars in town. If you push this thing through, what I’m investing is no longer applicable.”
