LED BY ALVARADO, COUNTY AUTHORIZES FUNDS FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT IN YONKERS
MEDIA RELEASE: August 9, 2005
Contact:Jose Alvarado,
Tel: (914) 995-2846 or Alvarado@westchesterlegislators.com
---Board Passes Legislation to Enable City to Construct 29 Affordable Units---
Because of the efforts of county legislator José Alvarado (D-I-WF,Yonkers), the county Board of Legislators voted last night to approve $385,000 in bonds to fund infrastructure improvements for the 217-227 South Waverly Street Affordable Housing Project in Yonkers. Alvarado, as a member of both the Committee on Budget & Appropriations and the Committee on Housing, pushed hard to have this legislation passed.
“This project demonstrates our county’s commitment to providing Yonkers families who find themselves priced out of the extremely expensive Westchester housing market a way to stay and raise their families in Westchester County,” said Alvarado. “Finding decent and affordable housing is a tremendous challenge in this county and we have to work harder than ever as a community to bridge the means gap. This project shows that we’re not just talking about what needs to be done---we’re doing it.”
Providing funds for infrastructure costs is in accordance with the Housing Implementation Fund, one of the county’s programs created to stimulate the production of affordable housing by providing local municipalities funds to finance infrastructure improvement costs associated with an affordable housing development. In the case of the Waverly project approved last night, infrastructure costs include the installation of an 8-inch water main, street restoration and sidewalk and curb replacement.
The proposed development will consist of 28 two-bedroom apartments and 1 one-bedroom unit for the on-site superintendent. Twenty of the units are earmarked as permanent housing for homeless families and eight units will be allocated to families with incomes at or below 50% of Westchester’s median income.
In addition to the bonding legislation, the Board authorized the county to enter into an inter-municipal agreement with the city of Yonkers that provides that Yonkers will construct the improvements to be funded by the county. The county will retain ownership of the improvements for the life of the County bonds. “I am delighted that once again the county government is joining hands with the administration of the city of Yonkers to produce what our people desperately need---more affordable housing,” Alvarado said.
