MINUTES

HOUSING COMMITTEE

 

JUNE 18, 2001

 

 

PRESENT:  Legislators Lois Bronz, Bernice Spreckman and Michael Kaplowitz, Barbara Dodds and Jean Cloidt

 

GUESTS:  Planning – William Brady, Norma Drummond, Office for Disabled – Richard Manley, County Executive – William Randolph

 

Meeting called to order at 3:10 p.m.  Chair Bronz gave the floor to Bill Brady, from Planning to discuss the two agenda referrals.

 

The first item was the purchase of property located at 19 Narragansett Avenue – a former nursing home building.  They want it rehabilitated into a 50 room affordable senior housing rental building with assistive living.  They requested $2 million dollars from the New Home Land Acquisition Fund to help with the rehabilitation, this building is currently vacant.  The affordability period would be for forty years.  Rents would range from $1,500 to $2,100 per month.  This is assistive which includes meals, laundry, housekeeping services but it does not include medical.  The total cost for rehabilitation will be $3.25 million.

 

The second item – Statement of Need was discussed before when Bond council reviewed the Narragansett project it felt that the Statement of Need needed to be amended to include assistive living.  The Bond Council felt that the County’s statement of need should reflect assistive/affordable housing and that the County should be investigating in this.  It is a good idea that the County should be helping with these types of housing developments.

 

Mr. Brady stated that these types of living arrangements have rents of $3,000 plus so that with the County helping it lowers the rents to a more affordable amount.

 

Discussion ensued about the questions that were asked in the Budget and Appropriation meeting.  Mr. Brady stated they will provide three meals a day, weekly housekeeping, weekly linen service as well as other minor services such as transportation, pharmacy service pick-up.  Assisted housing facilities provide medical services on site, while assistive does not provide medical services at all.

 

There is a revocation clause in the contract whereby if the contractor does not meet his obligation to complete the project then it can revert back to the County.   Also if they fail to maintain it as an affordable housing project it can revert back to the County.

 

Discussion ensued with regards to the purchase and the Statement of Need.  Discussion ensued with regards to the Right of First Refusal about this property.  The County would not be closing on this for several months so it needed to be checked out with regards to right of first refusal.

 

It was explained that this project (Narragansett) was proposed for Seniors – 62 years old.  As this project is not a 202 project – no federal funds being used it does not have to have handicapped disabled occupants under the medicare provision.

 

The audience felt that it was unfair that the handicapped were not being included in this project as it was a perfect situation for them and that the County should negotiate for the handicapped to be included in it.

 

It was brought out in the discussion that the facility will also accommodate disabled seniors and that if a senior becomes disabled they will accommodate that person.

 

Chairman Bronz then handed over the floor to Norma Drummond and Richard Manley.  Norma Drummond talked about Section 8 and that the county has 8,800 vouchers and that 2,200 are administered by Westchester County.   The County is one of 52 units administering the program for the State, we are not able to receive vouchers directly. 

 

The county handles 25% of all Section 8 housing vouchers in Westchester.   There are 18 other administrative offices in Westchester County.  The County’s program was established over 25 years ago primarily to serve people who did not live in areas where there was an administrator.    The County gives priority to families who live in areas where there is no local Section 8 program.  We now give priorities to victims of disasters – relating to their apartment buildings.  Living in a homeless shelter does not give a family a priority,  living in substandard housing is a priority.

 

Equal weight is given to families that are paying more than 50% of monthly income for rent, living in a homeless shelter and substandard housing, or being evicted are given the same rating.

 

The county was awarded 220 new vouchers – when this happened it flooded the market.  They are obligated to lease these apartments within one year.  In order to do this more than 400 families have to be notified, interviewed, information verified, etc.

 

To date 25 percent of the families receiving Section 8 are handicapped, disabled families.  That is a considerable amount of handicapped families that we are assisting.  Of the 4,338 applicants on the waiting list,  593 indicated they are disabled, of those 593 an additional 140 are elderly.  Having both a disability and being elderly does not given you a priority on the waiting list.

 

Last year this list was over 6,000.   We are reaching families that have been on the waiting list for as little as three months.  The County is serving people who are applying within one year.  There are families on the waiting list that will never be served, because they could be a healthy single person and that is not a priority for the Federal government and the County is obligated to serve all disabled or elderly person before the healthy single person is served. 

 

Mrs. Drummond was questioned why municipalities did not apply for more vouchers – her response was that some programs feel that they have enough subsidized housing.  City of Peekskill is one of them and they have refused to apply for any more vouchers.  Anyone can apply to any program.  Yonkers gives priorities to people who live in their community.

 

Discussion ensued with regards to Peekskill not applying for more vouchers.  Ms. Drummond stated that Peekskill feels that the County has too many people from their program living in Peekskill also.   It was suggested that citizens of Peekskill have to lobby their local politicians and developers to bring in more affordable housing. 

 

The County Legislators cannot do anything with local officials – zoning and planning boards.

 

Norma Drummond stated that they are trying to work with landlords so that they will accept Section 8 housing.  It has been explained to landlords that they have the right to check on applicants.  Mrs. Drummond was questioned with regards to going to 120%, she stated that it is the apartment that is rated.

 

Mr. Manley, from the Office of Disabled stated that he has been trying to deal with this problem for the past 26 years.  He stated that the County couldn’t solve the problem but that they are working on it.   Mr. Manley stated that affordable housing would not happen unless the local community is willing to do it.    He stated that they should be breaking up and work on their municipal officials locally.  The local zoning and planning boards are the ones that determine what land will be used for in their community.   It is impossible for the County to walk into a community and tell them what they will do because there is a need.

 

The Committee is doing research with regards to discrimination among landlords with respect to Section 8 certificate holders.  We are trying to find out if there is legislation that would prohibit this discrimination, as soon as we have any information we will share it with the committee.

 

A guest brought out that there is a Federal Tax deduction that could be given to landlords if they improve their property to help mobility-impaired individuals.

 

Mrs. Lett explained that her husband is handicapped and basically has to crawl up the stairs and they have not been able to find a handicapped apartment, but don’t want to give up their apartment because then they would be homeless.  (See attached)

 

Ms. Verna James then made a presentation.  Her presentation was her letter that she read to the committee. (See attached)

 

Meeting adjourned at 4:00 p.m. on motion by Mrs. Spreckman/ Seconded by Ms. Bronz