Referred to:  The Economic Development, Tourism, Housing, Planning and Transit Committee (Chairman Cahill and Legislators Archer, Corcoran, Delaune, Litts, Maio, and Uchitelle)

Chairman of the Economic Development, Tourism, Housing, Planning, and Transit Committee, Brian B. Cahill, and Deputy Chair Herbert Litts, III offer the following:

WHEREAS, this Resolution has been submitted at the request of the County Executive on behalf of the Department of Planning; and

WHEREAS, pursuant to Resolution 178 of May 2020, the Legislature in conjunction with the County Executive called for the creation of a Housing Action Plan led by the Ulster County Planning Department and created an Advisory Committee on Housing to assist and guide the development of the Plan; and

WHEREAS, the Advisory Committee on Housing has met seven times during the development of the Plan and has endorsed the recommendations in the Plan; and

WHEREAS, the Plan has been subject to a public meeting on October 15, 2020 to accept comments on the Plan all of which comment in favor the recommendations contained in it; and

WHEREAS, the recommendations of the Plan were presented to the Ulster County Economic Development, Tourism, Housing, Planning, and Transit Committee on February 2, 2021; and

WHEREAS, both the qualitative and quantitative findings in the Plan demonstrate a critical need to address affordable housing in Ulster County concluding “that it is difficult to overstate the housing challenges and the resulting hardships experienced by many Ulster County residents;” and

WHEREAS, the recommendations in the Plan are designed to address the common barriers to the creation of housing including high development costs, cumbersome approval processes, and community opposition; and

WHEREAS, the Plan includes five critical action areas that are: (1) establishment of a housing task force to advise the Legislature and the Executive; (2) establishment of partnerships with housing developers to for scattered site development, (3) increase of the supply of supported and transitional housing, (4) creation of a housing smart communities initiative and (5) establishment of a housing fund for Ulster County; and

WHEREAS, the housing affordability crisis in Ulster County requires a strong public policy response and commitment from all levels of government; now, therefore, be it 

RESOLVED, that the Ulster County Legislature supports the recommendations of the Ulster County Housing Action Plan and urges the County Executive to direct resources of the Executive staff towards implementation; and, be it further

RESOLVED, that an Ulster County Housing Task Force is hereby established for the purposes of advising the Ulster County Legislature and the Ulster County Executive  i) on housing related issues including implementation of the recommendations contained in the Housing Action Plan, ii) on the adoption, repeal of laws and regulations that pertain to housing, and iii) to support local municipalities housing efforts and facilitate in the development of affordable housing; and, be it further

RESOLVED, that the Ulster County Legislature authorizes the Chair of the Legislature in collaboration with the County Executive to appoint members to the Ulster County Housing Task Force as recommended in the Housing Action Plan for a term expiring on December 31, 2021,

and move its adoption.

ADOPTED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE:

AYES:                     NOES:         

Passed Committee: Economic Development, Tourism, Housing, Planning and Transit on ________________.

FINANCIAL IMPACT:

NONE