This led to several new clients involved in post-war medium priced housing, including the National Broadcasting Company, the Hotpoint Company, Union Carbide, Knox Homes, and the Zeckendorf Corporation.

Whether done by banning apartments, requiring large building lots or imposing environmental or strict planning rules, the results are often the same: Affordably priced housing is hard to produce.

Mr. Barron and other critics say a different project could provide as much or more moderately priced housing, with less negative impact on the area.

The council, with an annual budget of $1.2 million, has also pressed for reform of the state's tort law system, a new east-west rail link within a rebuilt Interstate 287 and more moderately priced housing.

Many representatives in the legislative and executive branches of county government said last week that building modestly priced housing would depend on how the process is perceived.

Last May he was inducted into the National Association of Home Builders Hall of Fame in Washington for promoting moderately priced energy-efficient housing.

In his 40-minute address at Southampton College, Mr. Levy also outlined plans to preserve undeveloped open space and create more moderately priced housing, two issues close to Suffolk voters' hearts.

Furthermore, in Boston 80,000 additional households that pay more than 30 percent of their income in rent need - but cannot find - lower priced housing, according to Patricia A. Canavan, housing adviser to Mayor Thomas M. Menino.

And also from Birchgrove, which is a busy shopping area that comes under the ward of Heath but is composed mostly of more affordably priced housing, mainly of terraced, and has taken on an identity of its own.

In this and many other areas around the nation, prices for the most expensive homes are softening after a long run, while demand for more moderately priced housing remains firm.