Ulster County Democratic / Working Families Legislature Candidates Gary Bischoff, Alverta Jones, Marcy Goulart and Nicole Tucker are concerned about affordable housing in Ulster County. 

Ulster County has a problem. 
Not too long ago, people could figure on paying about $100,000 to $150,000 for a nice, modest home.  Today that same home would cost $300,000 or more.  Many new homes are over $400,000, even in a slack market.  The increased housing prices include condos, townhouses and co-ops, which have also increased substantially in the last eight years.  Wages of local workers are not keeping pace.  New homes are out of reach for many workers including laborers, government employees, teachers, and young professionals.  The median household income in Ulster County is $55,589 (in 2007).  Local wages are not keeping pace with housing costs.  We cannot afford to ignore what is happening. 

Gary Bischoff said, “middle income housing has been the bedrock and foundation of life in Ulster County for generations. This is an issue that needs more focus at all levels of government.  Our economic development efforts are more difficult because companies and employees are hesitant to come into this area as housing costs keep rising.  We are concerned about the affordable housing problem in Ulster County and we will be advocates for affordable housing, and we will support efforts to increase the amount of affordable housing in Ulster County.”

Alverta Jones outlined some steps that we should be taking; “governments can make a difference by encouraging smaller lot sizes, especially near town centers and villages.  We need to rethink our opposition to higher density housing and multifamily dwellings; these are options that can make housing less costly.  Legislators should work to foster a cooperative environment in which developers, municipalities and the county work together to create safe, decent, affordable housing that meets the diverse housing needs of Ulster County. We need to think creatively.  Some communities have laws that require developers building multiple residential units or more to set aside some percentage for affordable housing.  This is a good idea, and should be applied in other areas.”

Marcy Goulart added, “Ulster County established a housing consortium about eight years ago.  The group has coordinated efforts to obtain funding from the federal Housing and Urban Development Corp.  Their efforts have been focused on first time homebuyers as well as the homeless and the mentally ill.  This is a good start, but we need to raise awareness throughout the county and force the issue.”

Nicole Tucker noted, “In many places, neighbors have raised concerns about affordable housing.  These concerns include increased traffic, the impact on schools and a fear of property values dropping and sometimes concerns about the people that would move into affordable housing.  These fears ignore today’s realities.  Hard working, middleclass families are getting priced out of the market.  Today, most people in affordable housing are struggling younger workers fighting for a chance to get their home or seniors who cannot afford to stay in a the homes where they raised their families.”

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