Affordable housing organizations get $3 million funding

COLUMBIA COUNTY —  During a visit last week to a home built by Columbia County Habitat for Humanity, New York State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and Assemblymember Didi Barrett announced $3 million in funding for affordable housing in Columbia and Dutchess counties.

Made possible by a Capital Project Grant, the funding includes $1.5 million each for Columbia County Habitat for Humanity in order to enable first-time homebuyers to access affordable homes and Poughkeepsie-based Hudson River Housing to develop affordable rental units. A significant amount of the funding is earmarked for the City of Hudson, which has faced an exacerbated affordable housing crisis due to COVID-19.

“I welcomed Speaker Heastie to our district as part of his annual statewide tour,” said Barrett. “I wanted the Speaker to understand the particular obstacles we face here in our region that make the development of new affordable housing challenging, including the smaller scale of our communities, the local zoning restrictions, the lack of/or inadequate water and sewer infrastructure, the workforce shortages and the rising cost of construction.”

The home that Barrett and Heastie visited is owned by  Iftakher Chowdury and Shanaj Begum and is a “passive house,” the design and construction of which utilizes framing and insulation techniques that result in a 90% reduction in external energy consumption.

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NWCT Arts Council: Spring fundraiser

Dancers from Pilobolus will perform at the NWCT Arts Council spring fundraiser on April 26 in Washington Depot, Conn.

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On Saturday, April 26, the Northwest Connecticut Arts Council will host a special evening, Arts Connected, their spring fundraiser celebrating the power of creativity and community. Held at the Bryan Memorial Town Hall in Washington Depot from 5 to 8 p.m., this event brings together artists, performers, and neighbors for a magical night filled with inspiration, connection and joy.

Award-winning designer and arts advocate Diane von Furstenberg and her granddaughter Antonia Steinberg are honorary co-chairs of the event. Their shared love of the arts informs the spirit of the evening.

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