Federal Monitor Says Housing Plan Lacks Specifics

Federal Monitor James Johnson has reviewed Westchester County’s revised affordable housing implementation plan and found it lacking. Westchester County has been ordered to spend $51.6 million to build 750 units of affordable housing over the next seven years as a result of the settlement of a 2009 lawsuit filed by the Anti-Discrimination Center of New York. The County’s first plan was submitted on January 29, 2010 and the Monitor found it to be unacceptable as it “lacked specificity with respect to accountability, timeframes and process.”

The County submitted a revised plan on March 12, 2010 and in his most recent report the Monitor says, “Though the County has made progress …..the revised submission still falls short of a true plan to comply with either the Stipulation’s specific terms or its overarching goal of building a more integrated Westchester.”

Specifically, the monitor says the plan lacks:

• Long-range timetables
• Medium and long-term strategies for land acquisition, infrastructure improvement, construction, acquisition and other development costs.
• Allocation plan of the types of units including foreclosed properties, and new construction
• A system for tracking the number of units in progress
• Strategy for how units will be allocated throughout eligible municipalities and how it will maximize units in cities and census block with the lowest concentrations of African Americans and Hispanic residents.
• Remedies for overcoming resistance from municipalities
• Details on leveraging the $51.6 million and planned usage of financing

In addition, the monitor has asked that the County market expand their marketing plans to promote these homes to residents of New York City boroughs where there are higher percentages of minorities, and that the county and the developers share responsibility for outreach. Furthermore, the next plan should include plans for “housing counseling” for those making the move to “high opportunity” areas.

The Monitor urged the County to consult out experts regarding housing finance, zoning and marketing and to create an independent advisory panel including community, religious, and labor and employment leaders.

The report also discusses the stipulation’s requirement that Westchester County ban “source of include” discrimination in housing.” A bill to this end passed the Westchester County Board of Legislators in June, but County Executive Rob Astorino vetoed it. Consequently, the Monitor report that “Mr. Astorino’s message is troubling, to say the least.”

In response. Rob Astorino’s office provided the following statement:

““The monitor’s thoughtful comments are welcome. This is an evolving process and we are committed to developing an implementation plan that will deliver on the goal of bringing 750 units of fair and affordable housing to the market within the next seven years.”

In the past three months, the county has held 14 meetings with municipal officials and 31 meetings with private landowners to discuss possible developments in Larchmont, Yorktown, Dobbs Ferry, Eastchester, Lewisboro, Cortlandt, Irvington, North Salem, Bedford, New Castle, North Castle, Rye Brook, City of Rye, Briarcliff and Pleasantville.

On July 13, the county Planning Board asked the county Board of Legislators for funding approval for 18 fair and affordable housing units in the City of Rye. The project was originally proposed as exclusively for seniors. However, at the request of the county, the age restriction was removed by the City of Rye so that the project could comply with the settlement.

The Rye project, made up of homeowner-occupied townhouse units, is being called Rye Cottage Town Homes. The town homes will be marketed at a price between $150,000 and $165,000. The county’s proposed contribution totals $2.4 million, two thirds of which comes from the $51.6 million settlement fund and one third from federal funds. This project is an example of how municipalities are working with the county to meet the obligations of the settlement.

We are making progress – more than 40 meetings in 90 days is a clear demonstration of how we are moving forward. People should not lose sight of the fact that the implementation plan is simply a tool to help guide the process. Critical to our success will be building relationships with the municipal officials, developers and the communities involved, and that’s where we have been spending the bulk of our time to date.”

The settlement could not have come at a harder time for Westchester County. Budgets are strapped and huge deficits are projected. The cost to build the homes, compounded by the administrative costs to draft plans, produce quarterly reports, liaise with communities, oversee the process, and market and promote the properties will far exceed the allotted $51.6 million. County Executive Astorino inherited the settlement from Spano and clearly has a challenging task ahead.

Scarsdale was apparently not on the short list for the first fourteen community meetings, but we’ll continue to monitor the Monitor and the process and keep you informed.