Workforce Housing 101 clarifies housing programs and benefits

Workforce Housing 101 clarifies housing programs and benefits

Residents gathered at the Town Hall on Saturday, Feb. 22, to learn more about options for expanding local housing opportunity and available funding to bring it about. Workforce Housing 101 was organized by the Amenia Housing Board, whose chairman Charlie Miller was at the podium getting things started.

Photo by Leila Hawken

AMENIA — The Amenia Housing Board offered Workforce Housing 101 on Saturday, Feb. 22, attracting about 40 to the Town Hall for an educational meeting on affordable housing definitions, programs and funding.

The event was organized by the Amenia Housing Board with an introduction by chairman Charlie Miller.

Offering a definition of workforce housing, Miller said it falls under the umbrella of affordable housing, along with other types such as veterans’ housing or senior housing, but it is not public housing.

No one should pay more than 30% of monthly income for housing, whether homeowner is paying a mortgage, taxes, insurance or a renter paying rent and utilities. The current median purchase price for a home in Amenia is $450,000, Miller reported.

In 2020, 30% of the families in Dutchess County were housing cost-burdened, paying more than 30% of monthly income for housing.

Dutchess County Development and Planning administers Housing and Urban Development — HUD — projects, providing quality affordable housing for low-income households, as outlined by Paul Hesse, Community Development Coordinator.

Hesse said that while there is not a substantial amount of funding at the county level, it can be helpful to report having received county program assistance when applying for grant funding from other sources. Further, he explained that the county funding can be used to fund housing infrastructure like water and septic.

Providing details about the successful work of Kent (Conn.) Affordable Housing Inc., formed in 1990, President Justin Potter described that town’s two projects: Stuart Farm and South Commons, comprising 37 units, with an additional 13 units in the planning stages. The organization received support from the Community Development Block Grant program, using it for affordable housing infrastructure.

Accessory Dwelling Units — habitable buildings on a property in addition to the main home — are allowable in Kent. If they are contained within a home’s structure, they are allowable by right. If they are detached structures, they require a special permit, Potter explained.

Potter spoke of a spike in Kent housing prices and demand between 2017 and 2025, pandemic years, and current growth in local public support for affordable housing.

Capital expenses receive support from state and federal sources, with valuable assistance provided by the Litchfield County Center for Housing Opportunity, Potter said.

Currently, Potter said, there is a growing common ground to be found between organizations promoting housing opportunities and those whose interests lie in conservation. When designating land for conservation, he said, often roadside parcels can be identified as less desirable for natural habitat, but ideal for housing.

Representing Hudson River Housing of Poughkeepsie, a non-profit housing program, was Javier Gomez, Vice President of Operations, who offered information on affordable home ownership programs, eligibility, and funding.

Of concern to residents was the process through which families are selected for the program’s housing units. Gomez replied that a lottery system is most often used for rental opportunities that draw many applicants. First come-first served is more often used for home ownership opportunities as those applicants navigate a variety of funding strategies.

A question-and-answer period, moderated by Housing Board member Josh Frankel brought questions about the Cascade Road acreage, a Hudson River Housing project being considered by the Planning Board, now in its land-study phase.

Some questions concerned the duration of the affordability requirements, whether in time, the property could be subject to sale at market value.

Miller responded with his opinion that the Housing Board should require that affordable properties remain affordable into perpetuity, thereby limiting potential for market value sale. He acknowledged, however, that there is disagreement about potential sunset provisions.

“I believe that something should be affordable in perpetuity,” Miller said.

Discussion turned to the town-wide effects of a lack of affordable housing. Town Supervisor Leo Blackman noted that local businesses are not able to hire needed help.

About housing inventory, Blackman said that if there are more choices, the people move up and as a result there is more inventory.
“I want us to invest in our community,” Miller told residents, as the meeting broke into conversation and refreshments.

Latest News

Millerton Police Dept. rebuilds after fire; new cruisers on the way

The borrowed Pine Plains cruiser parked on Main Street in front of the Millerton Inn during the Millerton Street Fair on Saturday, June 28.

Photo by Aly Morrissy

MILLERTON — After receiving substantial state grant funding in July 2024 and beginning to roll out new equipment that fall, the Millerton Police Department suffered a setback when the February fire at the Village Water and Highway Department building destroyed much of its newly acquired gear — including patrol vehicles outfitted with cutting-edge technology.

Thanks to full-value insurance coverage and swift support from the Town of Pine Plains — which loaned the department a vehicle — Millerton officers were able to remain active in the community. Millerton Police Chief Joseph Olenik said two custom-built, four-wheel-drive Ford Interceptor cruisers are now in production and are expected to arrive by the end of the summer.

Keep ReadingShow less
Uncertainty looms over Millerton community pool timeline

Groundbreaking of the new pool planned for Eddie Collins Park has been delayed after the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation intervened to determine the status of wetlands in the proposed building site.

Archive photo

MILLERTON — The long-awaited groundbreaking for a new community pool at Eddie Collins Memorial Park — once expected this past April — now faces significant delays with no definitive timeline in sight, Mayor Jenn Najdek said.

The primary setback stems from a still-pending permitting process, as the village awaits final approvals from the Dutchess County Board of Health and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation regarding septic placement and wetland buffers. A patch of wetlands on the site — roughly five feet by five feet, Najdek said — requires a protective buffer, which could range anywhere from 5 to 100 feet. That determination will dictate whether the current pool design needs to be altered or moved altogether.

Keep ReadingShow less
North East town records brought into the digital age

Chris Virtuoso reorganized parcel records in the North East Town Hall basement by parcel number during the process of scanning and digitizing the documents.

Photo by Grace DeMarco

MILLERTON — Within the walls of the two-story Victorian housing the North East Town Hall lies a room-full of town records dating back to the late 19th century. Stored in labeled cardboard boxes and protected by dehumidifiers, the records are in the process of being dated, organized, and scanned into categorized online programs.

As the Town Hall works to relocate to 5603 Route 22 at the former Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witness, the consolidation and digitalization of records, as well as the disposal of those unneeded, is a time-sensitive project. Marcy Wheatley, the Deputy Town Clerk, emphasized their current heavy focus on organizing and scanning. “Now, when we move, we can get rid of a lot,” Wheatley stated.

Keep ReadingShow less
Fun, food and facts bring crowds to downtown Millerton

Nora Garcia, 6, of Millerton, bottom right, gets a face painting treatment from Maddy Rowe, a Webutuck High School senior. Nora’s sister, Juliana, 8, top right, is decorated by Giana Kall, a Webutuck senior. The program was sponsored by the Webutuck PTA.

Photo by John Coston

Locals and visitors packed into downtown Millerton Saturday, June 28, for the first ever Millerton Street Fair hosted by the Millerton News, the Millerton Business Alliance and Townscape. Representatives from local nonprofits, businesses along Main Street, Bee Bee the Clown and face painters from Webutuck High School drew in crowds all afternoon.

Festivities officially opened at 10 a.m., and a steady stream of visitors soon followed. Volunteer firefighters hosted a bouncy castle, a duck pool, a “put out the fire” ring toss game, and the “touch a truck” event at the fire department’s garage.

Keep ReadingShow less