NEW ROCHELLE AFFORDABLE HOUSING VOTE FAILS --- Defeat a setback for those struggling to live in Westchester

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEAS: June 13, 2007

Contact: Betsy DeSoye, Director of Communications, (914) 995-3277

The County Board of Legislators today failed to muster the 12-vote supermajority needed to approve $1,925,000 in bonding for “Clinton Place,” an affordable housing development proposed for New Rochelle.
Board Chair Bill Ryan (D,I,WF-White Plains) noted that the project had the support of the majority of the 11 legislators who attended a special meeting called to vote on the housing. County Legislators Lois Bronz, Bill Burton, Ken Jenkins, Michael Kaplowitz, Judy Myers, Vito Pinto, Martin Rogowsky, Bernice Spreckman and Clinton Young joined Ryan in voting for the project. County Legislator Jim Maisano was the lone vote against it. County Legislators Jose Alvarado, Gordon Burrows, Ursula LaMotte, George Oros, Sue Swanson and Tom Abinanti were absent from the meeting.

The project would have included 25 rental units targeted for school district, public agency and municipal workers with incomes ranging from $28,950 to $67,550. Preference would be given to New Rochelle residents and there would be no age restrictions.

The Board was forced to consider the measure at a special meeting to meet a tight deadline on components in a complicated from federal and state funding package that would secure the developer’s commitment.

“We need more decent affordable housing in Westchester County,” Ryan said. “This was a good project and it should have been approved. I've urged the two sides to work together to see if the proposal can be salvaged."

County Legislator Lois Bronz (D, WF, Greenburgh), Chair of the Housing, Planning and Government Operations Committee, noted that attendance was a critical factor. ”Certainly the merits of the project have never been in question,” Bronz said. “And, Westhab, the proposed developer, has had a long track record of success building quality affordable housing. Given an opportunity to revisit the issues, my colleagues may reconsider the project at another time, and hopefully arrive at a compromise.”