East Hudson Valley News

Dutchess County Executive Sue Serino recently initiated her 'Housing Listening Tour' at the Henry A. Wallace Center at the FDR Presidential Library and Museum in Hyde Park. The event, attended by nearly a dozen housing developers and service providers, aimed to explore how the county can support efforts to build more affordable housing.

The roundtable included representatives from various organizations such as the James J. Sullivan Corporation, Community Housing Innovations, RUPCO, Dakota Partners Mental Health America (MHA) Dutchess, Empyrean Fields Corporation, and Hudson Todd. Discussions focused on overcoming barriers to housing development and finding solutions to expand affordable housing options.

Participants highlighted several key issues:

- Land and Infrastructure Costs: High land prices and inadequate water and sewer infrastructure were noted as significant hurdles.

- Regulatory and Financial Barriers: Developers emphasized the need for streamlined approval processes at the local level, tax incentives, and financial models that reduce pre-development risks.

- Public Perception: Stakeholders discussed educating communities about different types of housing to combat stigma and garner public support.

- Workforce and Innovation: There was a recurring theme of workforce development and innovative construction methods. The discussion also touched on leveraging the County’s Housing Trust Fund to support smaller developers.

The county plans to open a new round of funding applications through the Housing Trust Fund for affordable housing projects. Feedback from these discussions will be used to support developers and service providers.

Serino announced the start of this tour in her 2025 Executive Budget Address in November. She mentioned plans to meet with various stakeholders including major employers, municipal leaders, school superintendents, among others.