Housing initiative seeks input

Taps into $650M NYS housing fund

By Aidan Dusenbury-Dalto | Manor Ink

Livingston Manor, NY – The Town of Rockland affordable housing initiative continues to gather speed with news the town has been certified as a Pro-Housing Community by NY State’s Homes and Community Renewal Division, making it eligible to apply for discretionary funding from the program’s $650 million reserve.

Other developments include collaborations with Pattern For Progress, which helps provide targeted data and strategies, and the pending incorporation of the Catskills Community Land Trust, a community-based, nonprofit organization that acts to acquire, manage and permanently conserve land.

The town has appointed Jennifer Grossman, Linda Hartley and Gwen Schantz to a Pro-housing Committee to address this issue. Solutions proposed include accessory dwelling units and additional stories on downtown buildings for housing. The town also plans to engage the community through surveys and public meetings. The committee will support the goals of the town’s Comprehensive Plan and will report back to the town.

This newly formed committee is seeking new members, especially those with expertise in areas like regional and county planning, government relations, real estate law, finance and development, community and economic development, affordable housing design and social services. To get involved, email j.grossman@townofrocklandny.com.

The need for additional completed housing surveys is vital for informing housing strategies. Jennifer Grossman said a greater number of completed survey responses will clarify housing needs, such as the types of housing, including the number of bedrooms, and the proximity of homes to jobs. She emphasized that they need to hear from a diverse range of community members, including parents, students, workers and seniors, to get a comprehensive understanding of the housing challenges and preferences. Increasing participation in the surveys will help the committee develop more effective housing solutions for the community.

“There are no wrong opinions or experiences, everyone’s voice matters in shaping the solutions,” Grossman said.

Rockland community engagement needed

One of the challenges of the housing initiative is to demonstrate the direct impact on community members it can have. Efforts have been made to spread awareness through local schools, town hall and libraries, but more participation is needed to better understand specific housing requirements.

The Town of Rockland Affordable Housing Survey is an anonymous and confidential questionnaire designed to help gauge the need for affordable housing in our community. It also includes the option to sign up for emails of future news, meetings and discussions. The survey results above capture information from local residents who have responded, but many more completed surveys are needed.

The next meeting of the Pro-housing Committee to be scheduled for April in town hall. The committee is pursuing the creation of a Catskill Community Land Trust, an initiative that typically takes several years to put into place, but could bring structure and support to affordable housing efforts. For more information and to take the survey, visit catskillscommunitylandtrust.org.