Referred to:  The Health, Human Services and Housing Committee (Chairman Uchitelle and Legislators Corcoran, Erner, Lopez, Nolan, Petit, and Stewart), and The Public Works, Capital Projects and Transportation Committee (Chairwoman Petit and Legislators Erner, Fabiano, Litts, and Nolan)

Legislator Phil Erner offers the following:

WHEREAS, the Ulster County Legislature finds that housing is a natural right; and

WHEREAS, the Department of Social Services (DSS) has certain responsibilities to the people of Ulster County to provide temporary assistance (TA) in the form of temporary and emergency housing; and

WHEREAS, Local Law No. 3 of 2023 designated “the development, maintenance, management, and/or provision of Affordable Housing” as “a public purpose” of Ulster County government; and

WHEREAS, Res. No. 330 of 2023 created a Housing Action Fund to “be appropriated pursuant Local Law No. 3 of 2023,” with $15 million “assigned to Affordable Housing to be utilized in compliance with Local Law No. 3 of 2023”; and

WHEREAS, at present the people of Ulster County have an especially acute and growing need for TA temporary / emergency housing through the Department of Social Services (DSS) and partner organizations; and

WHEREAS, DSS is struggling to identify sufficient space to fulfill that need; and

WHEREAS, the County must go farther to address the spectrum and diversity of urgent housing needs that unhoused, or inadequately housed, people face; and

WHEREAS, Ulster County possesses property throughout the County; and

WHEREAS, which the Legislature believes that publicly owned property belongs to the people; and

WHEREAS, the people have the right to survive by any means necessary that does not jeopardize others’ ability to do so; and

WHEREAS, County administration has undertaken a Study of County-owned space; now, therefore be it

RESOLVED, that Ulster County shall guarantee the people’s right to housing by using the results of the Study to determine and open for public access County property suitable for the unhoused people of Ulster County to use as temporary homes or shelters,

            RESOLVED, that it shall be the policy of Ulster County to use, and empower the people to make use of, its property to support the people’s basic need for housing and/or shelter, pursuant to Local Law No. 3 of 2023

and move its adoption.

ADOPTED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE:

AYES:                        NOES:    

No Action Taken in Committee: Health, Human Services and Housing on July 5, 2023 with consent

Postponed in Committee: Health, Human Services and Housing on August 1, 2023

No Action Taken in Committee: Health, Human Services and Housing on September 6, 2023 with consent

Postponed in Committee: Health, Human Services and Housing on October 11, 2023 with consent

Postponed in Committee: Public Works, Capital Projects and Transportation on November 1, 2023

Passed Committee: Health, Human Services and Housing on ____________.

Passed Committee: Public Works, Capital Projects and Transportation on ____________.

FINANCIAL IMPACT:

NONE