Many had marveled over the years at the extremely high average cost of building Maine State Housing Authority units.

Marvel no longer, thanks to the insurgent board members and new director of the Maine State Housing Authority who have been busy cutting those costs down to size.

Several board members had loudly complained last year that the Housing Authority was squandering money on out-of-state conferences and team-building exercises.

Plus, they said, the former director and staff had baked some costly pet ideas into the building contracts, like solar water heaters and training programs for women.

MSHA met with contractors to review material specifications and found ways to reduce costs while still meeting building codes.

The net result, according to Maine State Treasurer Bruce Poliquin, who sits on the Housing Authority’s board, will be a 25 percent reduction in the cost of the average MSHA housing unit.

That will, according to Poliquin, reduce the cost of the average unit from $197,000 to $150,000.

This is, of course, an example of the philosophic divide between Republicans and Democrats.

Solar hot water?  Great idea. Helping women learn carpentry skills? Another good effort.

But the more such requirements attached to housing units the fewer of them will be built and the more disadvantaged people who go without housing.

It was, it seems, high time for some new management at the MSHA.

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The opinions expressed in this column reflect the views of the ownership and the editorial board.